Chinese President Xi Jinping has met with Vietnam's Communist Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong in Hanoi during his first visit to the country in six years.

President Xi arrived in the Vietnamese capital on Tuesday on a two-day visit. The talks are believed to have focused mainly on economic cooperation.

Vietnam and China have been at odds in the past over territorial disputes in the South China Sea. However, their communist parties have maintained close ties.

Ahead of the visit, Xi contributed an article to a Vietnamese newspaper. In it, he expressed concern about instability and uncertainty in the region, and called for closer ties with Vietnam. He wrote, "Helping one's neighbor is helping oneself," and added, "China is ready to better align its development with that of its neighbors."