CHINESE President Xi Jinping met Vietnam's prime minister and the head of the country's National Assembly today, on the second day of his visit to bolster Beijing's relationship with Hanoi.

President Xi met Communist Party general secretary Nguyen Phu Trong on Tuesday, and they announced that China and Vietnam would work toward a "community with a shared future."

Later in the day, the sides signed 37 agreements, including on cross-border rail development and trade. 

Mr Trong visited Beijing a year ago and was given China's top medal for foreign dignitaries, with Mr Xi describing their relationship as one between "comrades and brothers", the two countries "connected by mountains and rivers, as close as lips and teeth".

The two countries have also agreed to conduct joint patrols in the Tonkin Gulf, according to reporters who witnessed the signing ceremony.

Vietnam has long pursued a “bamboo diplomacy” approach, aiming to stay on good terms with both the United States and China. 

Vietnam and China already share a “comprehensive strategic partnership,” Vietnam’s highest diplomatic status. 

Hanoi and Washington upgraded their relationship to the same level in September.

President Xi said: “Both sides need to strengthen co-operation in various fields, including legislation, to contribute to the building of the community with a shared future.”

The Chinese president also met with Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and President Vo Van Thuong today and will end his trip after meeting with young Vietnamese and Chinese scholars.

Vietnam and China already have robust ties, but they also have significant points of difference, primarily over territorial claims over islands in the South China Sea.

China has been Vietnam's largest trading partner for several years, with a bilateral trade turnover of $175.6 billion (around £140bn) in 2022. 

Imports from China, including crucial inputs for Vietnam's manufacturing sector, make up 67 per cent, according to Vietnamese media.