On the evening of December 12, Xi Jinping stood up, bent slightly, and raised his wine glass to toast Nguyen Phu Trong, General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam. (Video screenshot)
[People News] According to Chinese state media, Xi Jinping spoke with Nguyen Phu Trong, General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam, on January 15. The occasion was to commemorate the upcoming 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and Vietnam and the Lunar New Year celebration in both countries. Diplomatic relations were established between the two nations on January 18, 1950. Vietnam's state media, including Vietnam News Agency (VNA), also covered the call. A comparison of the reports reveals differences in reporting styles and content emphasis.
Vietnam News Agency’s report adopted a balanced approach, merging shared perspectives while highlighting distinctions. For example, both leaders were reported to have "highly appreciated the significance of the call," underscoring "the high priority and importance both sides place on bilateral relations." Both leaders also exchanged New Year greetings and best wishes. When differences emerged, VNA separated the details. For instance, they provided individualized accounts of topics where each leader had unique points of focus or expression.
In contrast, China's Xinhua News Agency adhered to its traditional style of segmented reporting, presenting the leaders' statements separately. Xinhua first recounted Nguyen Phu Trong's visit to China last year and the consensus reached during that trip. The report emphasized the importance of strengthening cooperation in 2024 and concluded with Xi’s well wishes for Vietnam's continued achievements.
Regarding Nguyen Phu Trong's remarks, he first expressed sincere condolences for the severe loss of life and property caused by the earthquake in Tibet, stating his belief that, under the leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Xi Jinping at its core, the damages would surely be overcome. He then mentioned that Vietnam "admires" the achievements of the Chinese Communist Party, actively supports the three major global initiatives proposed by Xi, and is willing to strengthen cooperation with China within this framework. Finally, Trong emphasized that in Vietnam's new phase of development, the country would "draw on China's development experience," referencing "Xi Jinping Thought," and that Vietnam "will continue to prioritize developing Vietnam-China relations as its top foreign policy priority" and "promote the deeper and more practical construction of a Vietnam-China community of shared destiny with strategic significance."
What Are the Differences in Reporting Between Vietnam News Agency and Xinhua News Agency?
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On the 2024 Cooperation Highlights: Vietnam News Agency (VNA) reported that "in 2024, frequent exchanges at all levels created a friendly and effective atmosphere that permeated all strata of both countries. Many high-level agreements and consensuses, including the Vietnam-China Joint Statement issued in August 2024, were actively implemented." However, Xinhua only mentioned the "consensus" from August. Why was this omitted?
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Expressions of Condolence for Tibet: VNA reported that Nguyen Phu Trong expressed condolences to "the families of victims and all the people in the earthquake-stricken areas of Tibet." Xinhua, on the other hand, altered this to "expressed sincere condolences for the severe loss of life and property caused by the earthquake in Tibet," avoiding any mention of "victims." Is this because China is suppressing casualty numbers and avoiding direct acknowledgment?
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Rephrasing Trong's Confidence in Disaster Response: VNA stated that Trong expressed confidence in "the timely leadership and guidance of the Chinese Communist Party, enabling the Chinese people to carry out post-disaster recovery and stabilize their lives." Xinhua, however, modified this to "confidence that, under the leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Xi Jinping at its core," the damage would be overcome. Furthermore, VNA only mentioned Xi's leadership when congratulating the CPC on its achievements. Why did Xinhua conflate these contexts? Did Xi personally oversee the disaster relief efforts in Tibet?
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On Prioritizing Bilateral Relations: VNA reported that Trong emphasized, "Vietnam consistently regards developing relations with China as the top priority in its independent, self-reliant, multilateral, and diversified foreign policy." Xi also highlighted that "in its peripheral diplomacy, the Party, state, and people of China prioritize developing relations with Vietnam." Yet, Xinhua omitted Xi's specific remark about prioritizing Vietnam in China's diplomacy. Was this due to concerns about upsetting other neighboring countries?
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On Defense Cooperation: VNA highlighted that both sides agreed to "advance bilateral defense cooperation, making it a true pillar of their relationship." This detail was conspicuously absent in Xinhua's report.
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On the South China Sea Dispute: VNA mentioned that Trong suggested both sides "actively seek effective measures under the guidance of the United Nations Charter, the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and other international laws to better manage and resolve disputes, strengthen cooperation, and ensure alignment with the level of bilateral relations." Xinhua, consistent with China's usual approach, made no mention of the South China Sea issue.
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On the "Vietnam-China Community of Shared Destiny": VNA did not include the term "Vietnam-China community of shared destiny" because Vietnam has never officially recognized this concept. Yet Xinhua forcefully inserted it, possibly to exaggerate Vietnam's alignment with China's ideological narrative.
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On Xi Jinping’s Invitation to Visit Vietnam: The most puzzling difference is that VNA reported Trong invited Xi Jinping and his wife to visit Vietnam again in 2025, and Xi graciously accepted the invitation. However, Xinhua and other Chinese state media made no mention of this significant detail.
In a previous article published on the 17th, titled "Sri Lanka’s President’s Omission of Thanks to Xi Jinping Is Suspicious", the author noted a similar anomaly: in the China-Sri Lanka joint statement, the Sri Lankan President—despite relying heavily on Chinese aid—did not explicitly thank Xi Jinping. Instead, he extended an invitation to the Chinese leadership for a visit, to which Xinhua reported, "the Chinese leadership expressed gratitude, and the two sides will maintain communication through diplomatic channels."
Why, then, was Sri Lanka's invitation to Chinese leaders reported and acknowledged, while Xi's acceptance of Trong's invitation went unreported? What does this say about Xi's status? Through these subtle omissions, Chinese state media may already be signaling to the outside world. Will Xi Jinping still have the opportunity to visit Vietnam in 2025?
(Originally published by People News)
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