Visit to strengthen Sino-Vietnamese ties

To Lam, general secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and Vietnamese president, is on a visit to Beijing amid the warm embrace of spring, shortly after the conclusion of the 14th National Party Congress of the CPV and the first session of the 16th National Assembly.

Lam's visit underscores the strong and healthy momentum in bilateral ties. Since he became CPVCC general secretary in 2024, both Beijing and Hanoi have placed great emphasis on the healthy and sustainable growth of China-Vietnam relations.

Lam has visited China multiple times during his tenure as Vietnam's minister of public security and in other positions. His two visits to China in less than two years underscore the importance he places on China-Vietnam relations. Chinese President Xi Jinping also visited Vietnam last year.

Such heads-of-state diplomacy is vital to the development of bilateral ties. The two heads of state have maintained close interactions, setting the direction for bilateral development. As a result, political mutual trust has been steadily consolidated, with deepening economic cooperation and vibrant people-to-people exchanges emerging as highlights of the relationship.

Lam's ongoing visit can help establish the framework and chart the course for future cooperation in political, security, economic and cultural fields as well as people-to-people exchanges, resulting in a host of meaningful outcomes. It is also hoped that the two sides can reach common understandings on major global and regional issues.

Following the passing of former general secretary Nguyen Phu Trong in July 2024, there have been concerns about whether his successor Lam would continue Trong's friendly China policy.

However, developments over the past year suggest that such concerns are overstated and the Lam government is likely to continue the China policy pursued by its predecessor.

Lam visited China within a month of his election as the CPVCC general secretary and has since maintained close contact with the Chinese side.

His latest visit to China after the 14th National Party Congress aligns with established practices. Therefore, it is reasonable to expect that the Lam administration will continue to deepen Vietnam's comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership with China and expedite the building of a China-Vietnam community with a shared future.

Besides, Lam's seamless election to a full leadership term demonstrates strong consensus within the CPV and reflects the party's internal unity and cohesion.

Notably, the newly established China-Vietnam "3+3" strategic dialogue on diplomacy, defense and public security will further strengthen bilateral relations.

Its timing, shortly after the conclusion of the CPV's 14th National Congress and the first session of Vietnam's 16th National Assembly, is no coincidence. This mechanism highlights the key areas where China and Vietnam have much to accomplish amid current global turbulence.

First, as socialist countries, political security is a crucial aspect of this cooperation. Second, cross-border crimes — including smuggling, drug and human trafficking, and telecom fraud — threaten the peace and well-being of both peoples and should be jointly addressed.

Additionally, bilateral economic and trade relations are demonstrating robust momentum. In 2025, bilateral trade reached about $290 billion, making Vietnam the largest trading partner of China among ASEAN economies.

Beyond economic and trade ties, the two countries also share significant common interests in defense and regional security. Cooperation across these areas requires a high-level platform to drive progress. While the foreign ministers of the two countries have maintained regular consultations, the"3+3" mechanism has emerged in response to the strengthening friendship between China and Vietnam.

As an institutionalized form of collaboration, it enables more specialized and nuanced exchanges and is expected to further strengthen and stabilize bilateral ties.

Looking ahead, China-Vietnam cooperation offers broad prospects. A key priority is to strengthen party-to-party ties between the Communist Party of China and the CPV, focusing on enhanced collaboration in party-building and anti-corruption efforts.

Security cooperation, especially in combating telecom fraud, smuggling, and drug trafficking, is crucial.

In this regard, judicial cooperation in criminal matters should be deepened to enhance cooperation.

Cooperation in economic and cultural fields can also yield significant benefits, with a special emphasis on high technology, the green economy, the digital economy, infrastructure, agriculture, and people-to-people exchanges. The two countries are implementing projects such as cross-border QR code connectivity, local currency swap and settlement, and cross-border e-commerce. Potential in renewable energy initiatives — including wind, photovoltaic, and hydropower projects — can be further unleashed. The China-Vietnam standard-gauge railway projects and smart border gates facilitate logistics. As China is Vietnam's largest export market for agricultural and aquatic products, agricultural cooperation remains a priority.

Mutual trust between the leadership of the two countries provides a solid political foundation for future collaboration. Bilateral relations in these spheres will continue to develop, with significant room for growth.

Vietnam is already China's fourth-largest trading partner, while China is Vietnam's largest trading partner. Amid the broader trend of deglobalization, trade ties between the two sides are likely to strengthen further.

The author is the director and a professor of the Southeast Asia Research Center, Beijing Foreign Studies University.

The views don't necessarily represent those of China Daily.

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