Xi arrives for welcome ceremony hosted by Vietnam's To Lam

General Secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived at the presidential palace square in Hanoi on Monday for a welcome ceremony hosted by General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee To Lam.

Xi arrived in the Vietnamese capital city earlier in the day for a two-day state visit, at the invitation of Lam and Vietnamese President Luong Cuong.

During the visit, Xi is scheduled to hold talks with Lam and meet with Cuong, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, and Chairman of the National Assembly Tran Thanh Man, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China.

Xi's Vietnam visit coincides with the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Vietnam.

Vietnam is the first leg of Xi's current three-nation Southeast Asia tour, which will also take him to Malaysia and Cambodia for state visits from Tuesday to Friday, at the invitation of King of Malaysia Sultan Ibrahim, and King Norodom Sihamoni of Cambodia.

Xi arrives for welcome ceremony hosted by Vietnam's To Lam

Xi arrives for welcome ceremony hosted by Vietnam's To Lam

Xi arrives for welcome ceremony hosted by Vietnam's To Lam

Xi arrives for welcome ceremony hosted by Vietnam's To Lam

Xi arrives for welcome ceremony hosted by Vietnam's To Lam

Officials from the European Union (EU) and Finland have voiced concerns after the White House said it has been discussing "a range of options" to acquire Greenland, including the use of the military.

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas told a press briefing in Cairo on Thursday that the message from the U.S. is "extremely concerning," and "not really helping the stability of the world."

Kallas called on all parties to stick to international law, adding that relevant response measures has been discussed among EU members.

"The international law is very clear, and we have to stick to it. It is clear that it is the only thing that protects smaller countries, and that is why it is in the interest of all of us. And we discussed this today, as well, that we uphold the international law on all levels," she said.

Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen on Thursday described recent remarks by U.S. President Donald Trump and members of his administration on Greenland as "worrying," while reiterating Finland's support for Denmark and Greenland's right to self-determination.

"Finland and the other Nordic countries have exceptional expertise in Arctic conditions, and we are happy to make use of that together with our North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) allies to strengthen Arctic security, but it cannot be done by threatening allies," she said at a press conference at Finnish parliament after an extraordinary meeting of the parliamentary Foreign Affairs Committee.

Johannes Koskinen, chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee, said it was "unprecedented" for threats of violence to be made within NATO against another member in connection with seizing territory, adding that such threats run counter to the United Nations Charter and that their inconsistency with international law should be underscored at all levels.

EU, Finnish officials express concerns over US remarks on Greenland