President to start key Asian journeys

Attention turns to Southeast Asia after European exchanges

After a flurry of diplomatic activity involving top European nations, President Xi Jinping is turning his attention to Southeast Asia, making key visits to Vietnam and Singapore amid tensions over the South China Sea.

On Thursday, he starts a visit to Vietnam, the first to the country by a Chinese top leader in a decade and Xi's first to the nation since he took office in 2013.