China's President Xi Jinping (L) and his wife Peng Liyuan wave as they arrive at Noi Bai International airport in Hanoi on December 12, 2023. China's President Xi Jinping arrived in Vietnam on December 12 for his first visit in six years, as he seeks to counter the United States' growing influence with the communist nation. (Photo by LUONG THAI LINH / POOL / AFP)