Party General Secretary, President To Lam to pay state visit to China

The visit will be made at the invitation of China’s Party General Secretary and President Xi Jinping.

Xi sent congratulations to To Lam on his election as Vietnam’s Party General Secretary on Aug. 3, saying that under the steadfast leadership of the Vietnam’s Party Central Committee, the Party and people of Vietnam will successfully realize the objectives and tasks set forth by the 13th National Congress.

“I am ready to join Comrade General Secretary To Lam in leading the building of an increasingly substantial and in-depth China-Vietnam Community with a shared future, jointly promoting the traditional friendship, consolidating political trust, deepening strategic exchanges, boosting substantive cooperation, bringing more happiness to the peoples of the two countries, and actively contributing to the cause of peace and progress of the mankind,” Xi said in his letter.

During Xi’s visit to Vietnam last December, the two countries named six focused directions for developing the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, including enhanced strategic exchanges and exchanges at different levels, utilizing the important role of the security-defense cooperation pillar, and strategic infrastructure connectivity.

China is Vietnam’s largest trade partner and second largest export market for many years, while Vietnam is China’s largest partner in ASEAN and fifth largest partner in the world after the U.S., Japan, South Korea and Russia. Bilateral trade between Vietnam and China reached US$171.9 billion last year, and rose 24.1% year on year in the first half.