China's President Xi Jinping is scheduled to depart for a state visit to Vietnam from Nov. 5 to 6. Vietnam is one of the claimant countries in the South China Sea and officials in Hanoi have been critical of China's activities in the disputed maritime territory in the past. President Xi's visit will take place less than a week after an American warship sailed within 12 nautical miles of China's settlement on the Subi Reef.

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China's foreign ministry announced on Thursday that the Chinese leader's visit is being made on the invitation of the general secretary of the central committee of the Vietnamese Communist Party Nguyen Phu Trong and the President of Vietnam Truong Tan Sang.

The ministry did not state the agenda for the president's visit. However, experts believe that discussions between the leaders will largely focus on improving China-Vietnam economic ties. China is Vietnam's largest trading partner. The trade between both countries in 2014 amounted to about $58.87 billion.

There are some pundits, however, who speculate that China will seize this opportunity to the support of Vietnam against the U.S. freedom of navigation patrol in the South China Sea. Many people in Vietnam have been urging their government to seek closer ties with the U.S. and show more support for America's freedom of navigation patrol in the disputed Spratly Islands.

China and Vietnam share deep historical and political ties. There is evidence of the presence of Chinese people in Vietnam prior to the colonial times. China continued to maintain ties with the former during her colonization by France. Both countries were invaded by Japan, and after the Cold War, China remained a close ally of North Vietnam during the Vietnamese War.

Despite a dispute over an oil rig in the South China Sea last year, the two communist countries remain very close. In September, during China's Second World War 70^th Anniversary V-Day Parade, President Sang met with Xi at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. Both leaders agreed to settle their national disputes through dialogue. They also reached a consensus to expand China-Vietnam cooperation.

Earlier in the month, Vietnamese officials announced that a Chinese patrol vessel had attacked a Vietnamese fishing boat near the contested Paracel islands. The incident, which put the life of about 20 Vietnamese fishing men at risk, angered local officials in the country.

Vietnamese officials have warned that China's expansion in the South China Sea could escalate tension with other claimant countries. But experts say it is unlikely Vietnam would take any drastic actions against China, given their deep ties.

After leaving Vietnam on Tuesday, Nov. 6, President Xi will head to Singapore for a one-day state visit, which ends on Wednesday, Nov. 7.

TagsPresident Xi Jinping Vietnam Singapore, Chia-Vietnam, China-Singapore, American Warship Subi Reef