Does China seek to ‘divide and conquer’ as it boosts Vietnam defence ties?

Top Chinese military commander’s Hanoi trip signals ‘substantial improvement’ in relations, analyst says

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General Zhang Youxia, vice-chairman of China’s Central Military Commission, during talks with Vietnam’s defence chief General Phan Van Giang in Hanoi last week. Photo: EPA-EFE

Published: 10:00pm, 30 Oct 2024Updated: 10:34pm, 30 Oct 2024

A rare trip to Hanoi by China’s most senior military official points to improved ties between the two neighbours, with one analyst suggesting a “Vietnam model” for tackling disputes over the South China Sea.

General Zhang Youxia, vice-chairman of China’s powerful Central Military Commission, travelled to Vietnam last week for a two-day visit. He met Vietnam’s new Communist Party leader To Lam and Luong Cuong, the new president, along with other senior figures.

Zhang expressed Beijing’s willingness to deepen relations with Hanoi, including political, economic and cultural ties, and to “promote the healthy and stable development of military relations”, according to a readout from China’s defence ministry released on Saturday.

Zhang also held talks with Vietnamese Defence Minister General Phan Van Giang and they witnessed the signing of an agreement to strengthen defence cooperation, Xinhua reported.

It was just the third international trip made by Zhang since he became vice-chairman of the CMC, the Chinese military’s top command body, in 2017. He also visited Russia in that capacity in 2017 and again last year.

Vietnamese Defence Minister Phan Van Giang (left) and Chinese military commander Zhang Youxia review a guard of honour in Hanoi on October 24. Photo: EPA-EFE

It comes after Admiral Dong Jun visited Vietnam in April – his first overseas trip after he became China’s defence minister in December. During that visit, Dong and Vietnam’s defence chief Giang signed a memorandum of understanding to set up a hotline between the PLA Southern Theatre Command and the Vietnamese navy to manage the risk of conflict over the South China Sea.