ASEAN Beat | Diplomacy | Southeast Asia

Vietnam’s Top Leader Concludes 4-Day State Visit to China

Meeting in Beijing, To Lam and Xi Jinping declared that they view the bilateral relationship “as a strategic choice of overarching and long-term significance.”

Vietnam’s paramount leader, To Lam, today concluded a four-day state visit to China, dominated by discussions on infrastructure, internal security, and international trade. Lam, the general secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV), arrived in China on April 14, his first trip abroad since he was elected president last week.

After a suitable grand welcoming ceremony, Lam met on Wednesday with Chinese President Xi Jinping, who called on the two nations “to work together to oppose unilateralism and protectionism” and to “safeguard the global free trade system,” as per Chinese state media. He also called for the two nations to prioritize infrastructure connectivity and more cooperation on emerging fields like artificial intelligence and semiconductors.

As is characteristic in China-Vietnam relations, Xi also referenced the two nations’ common socialist system, arguing that securing the continuation of Communist Party rule was “the greatest common strategic interest between the two parties.” He also urged both sides to “maintain a high level of strategic vigilance and strong strategic resolve, and always remain confident in the path and system they adopt.” In response, To Lam reportedly told Xi that Vietnam views the development of its relations with China as “an objective requirement, a strategic choice and a top priority.”

All of this was reiterated in a joint statement issued today, stating that the two sides “agreed that Vietnam and China, sharing common aspirations and development paths, view the bilateral relationship as a strategic choice of overarching and long-term significance.” The statement also pledged to enhance cooperation across a wide array of areas, including party-to-party relations, security and law enforcement, and tourism, and pledged to continue the hectic rota of regular contacts between senior officials on both sides. The two sides also “emphasized the need to better manage and actively resolve disagreements at sea, while maintaining peace and stability” in the South China Sea, where they have unresolved maritime and territorial disputes.

Also on Wednesday, Xi and Lam attended a signing ceremony for a range of cooperation agreements covering inter-party exchanges, public security, and technology, the official news agency Xinhua reported.

Lam’s four-day trip to China comes just a week after the National Assembly appointed him as president for the coming five-year term. The move consolidated his control over both the party and the state, and marked a break with the previous system of collective leadership in which Vietnam’s “four pillars” – its four main leadership positions – were held by separate individuals. It also roughly aligned Vietnam with the leadership structure in China, where Xi is the head of both the party and the state.

One interesting element of Lam’s trip was the focus on China’s high-speed rail (HSR) network. The 68-year-old leader began his visit to China by taking a HSR........

© The Diplomat