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       Three Months After Biden, It’s Xi’s Turn to Court Vietnam

       The Chinese leader wants assurances that the strategically important country isn’t taking Washington’s side against Beijing, analysts say.

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       China’s leader, Xi Jinping, and his wife, Peng Liyuan, arriving in Hanoi on Tuesday. Credit...Pool photo by Luong Thai Linh

       By Damien Cave

       Dec. 12, 2023Updated 1:16 a.m. ET

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       China’s leader, Xi Jinping, arrived in Vietnam on Tuesday for a relatively rare trip abroad, seeking to elevate ties with an important neighbor just three months after President Biden visited Hanoi on a similar mission.

       Few nations now feature more centrally in the great-power competition between the United States and China, placing Vietnam, which has a long history of fierce independence, in a high-risk, high-reward position. Keeping both giants happy could mean a transformative economic boost; angering one or the other could bring heavy costs.

       “This is a very delicate dance for Vietnam’s government,” said Alexander Vuving, a professor at the Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies in Honolulu. “They have to dance on a very thin tightrope, and the tightrope has become even thinner.”

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       Damien Cave is an international correspondent for The Times, covering the Indo-Pacific region. He is based in Sydney, Australia. More about Damien Cave

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