China's Xi arrives in Vietnam to strengthen ties

STORY: Making his first trip to Vietnam in six years, Xi was welcomed at Hanoi airport by Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, and people on the route to his hotel waved flags of both countries, pictures on state media showed.

Despite very close ties on the economic front, the neighbors have been at odds over boundaries in the South China Sea and have a millennia-long history of conflict.

Beyond taking ties to a level Beijing may see as being above those with the United States, upgraded status would come with the signing of "dozens of co-operation documents," Vietnam's state newspaper Tuoi Tre quoted China's ambassador Xiong Bo as saying before Xi's visit.

Deals are expected to include Chinese investments to upgrade rail links between the neighbors, which would include grants, though the volume and terms of possible loans are not clear.