Vietnam signals good will

THE FATAL MID-MAY ANTI-CHINA RIOTS IN Vietnam were so destructive that few will anticipate a hasty two-day visit by a Vietnamese special envoy will suffice to repair the damage.

Yes, Le Hong Anh is the fifth most powerful man in Vietnam. And visiting as special envoy of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee, he is the highest-ranking Vietnamese official to visit Beijing since the riots froze bilateral ties.

Yes, as it has declared, Hanoi now wants to defrost ties. Whether it likes it or not, its economic interdependence with China means it is difficult for Hanoi to sustain a costly standoff.