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China’s defence chief Dong Jun to visit Vietnam for military exchange and joint patrol
The activities will coincide with Xi Jinping’s state visit to the Southeast Asian country as Beijing seeks to bolster regional ties
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Vietnam will host Defence Minister Dong Jun for a military exchange next week, marking his second visit to the country in four months as China seeks to strengthen ties with its Southeast Asian neighbours amid tensions in the South China Sea and an escalating tariff war with the US.
A week-long military exchange between the two countries began on Friday, according to China’s defence ministry. Vietnam announced earlier that Dong would visit the country on Thursday of next week.
The exchange activities will coincide with President Xi Jinping’s state visit to Vietnam from Monday to Tuesday.
According to Beijing, the activities are part of the annual China-Vietnam joint military exchange to be held near the Friendship Pass border crossing straddling northeastern Vietnam and southern China’s Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region.
Dong and his Vietnamese counterpart General Phan Van Giang are expected to meet and watch the 38th joint naval patrol in the Gulf of Tonkin, according to news site VietNamNet.
The visits by Xi and Dong come amid persistent tensions in the South China Sea, where Beijing has overlapping territorial claims with several Southeast Asian countries, including Vietnam and the Philippines. China aims to strengthen military relations with Vietnam to help the two sides address security challenges and maintain stability in the region.
Enoch Wong joined the Post in 2024 as a Senior Reporter on the China Desk after over a decade with institutions like Tsinghua University and UN-affiliated organisations across Asia, Africa and Europe. A Schwarzman Scholar at Tsinghua University specialising in China-US relations and public policy, he also holds a BSc in Mathematics, Operational Research, Statistics and Economics from the University of Warwick. Known for his insightful commentary and dynamic hosting, Enoch has regularly contributed to major news outlets and moderated panels at international forums, offering a unique perspective on complex global issues.
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