Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh is set to pay a visit to China, as tensions between the two nations have been rising in the South China Sea.

Vietnam's foreign ministry announced on Thursday that the prime minister will make a four-day official visit from Sunday. Details of his schedule have not been released. But he is expected to attend the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum on the invitation of its chairman, as well as Chinese Premier Li Qiang. The meeting will be held next week in Tianjin.

Vietnam has a strong economic ties with China, its largest trading partner. But it also faces territorial disputes in the South China Sea, where China has been stepping up its maritime activities.

Tensions rose last month, when Hanoi demanded that a Chinese survey vessel and escort ships leave its exclusive economic zone.