On December 20, Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, arrived in Hanoi to start his official visit to Vietnam. Xi was invited by the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) and Vietnamese Vice President Nguyen Thi Doan.

At about 16:00 local time, Xi Jinping's chartered plane landed at Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi. Chinese Ambassador to Vietnam Kong Xuanyou and senior Vietnamese officials boarded the plane to greet Xi. The Chinese Vice President got off the plane, and shook hands and exchanged greetings with the head of the International Department of the CPV Central Committee, the director of the Vietnamese President's Office, Vietnamese Ambassador to China Nguyen Van Tho and Vietnamese Deputy Foreign Minister Nguyen Phuong Nga who were waiting in front of the ladder. Chinese and Vietnamese young women presented flowers to Xi Jinping.

In a written statement delivered at the airport, Xi said Vietnam is an important country in Southeast Asia. "In recent years," Xi said, "the Vietnamese people are seeking a development path suitable to their national conditions under the leadership of the CPV." Xi spoke highly of the achievements made by Vietnam in pushing forward its reform, speeding up economic growth, maintaining social stability and raising people's living standards. Earlier this year, Vietnam elected new leadership at the 11th CPV National Congress and the 13th National Assembly, and adopted a socio-economic development strategy for the next five to 10 years. "I believe that under the leadership of the CPV, the Vietnamese people can realize their goals set in the 11th CPV National Congress and make greater achievements in their reforms," Xi said.

China and Vietnam are neighboring countries that share common mountains and rivers, Xi said. "China-Vietnam friendship is the common treasure created and nurtured by our leaders of the older generations." In recent years, China-Vietnam relations have witnessed steady growth. The two nations agreed to develop ties featuring "long-term stability, future-orientation, good-neighborliness and comprehensive cooperation" and in the spirit of "good neighbors, good friends, good comrades and good partners." Both sides have established a comprehensive strategic partnership of cooperation and promoted bilateral relations to a new level.

Xi said the deepening of the comprehensive strategic partnership of cooperation between China and Vietnam serves the fundamental interests of the two countries and two peoples, and is conducive to the peace, stability and development in the region and the world at large. He said he looked forward to exchanging in-depth views with Vietnamese leaders on relations between the two parties and countries as well as on major international and regional issues of common concern. He hoped the visit would further consolidate bilateral good-neighborliness, enhance strategic mutual trust and advance pragmatic cooperation so as to enrich the comprehensive strategic partnership of cooperation between China and Vietnam.

Vietnam is the first-leg of Xi's Asia tour. He will also pay an official visit to Thailand at the invitation of the government of the Kingdom of Thailand.