Vietnam's To Lam visits China April 14-17 for telecom deals
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- To Lam will visit China from April 14-17 in his first overseas trip as state president, meeting President Xi Jinping in a visit announced by Xinhua on April 9.
- Chinese Foreign Ministry said Lam's choice of Beijing "fully demonstrates the high importance attached to the development of relations between the two parties and the two countries," with spokeswoman Mao Ning expressing readiness to deepen the comprehensive strategic partnership.
- Bilateral cooperation has already produced breakthroughs in rail links, special economic zones near the Chinese border, and the inclusion of Chinese tech in Vietnam's 5G network, with new telecom infrastructure agreements expected to be signed during the visit.
- Trade ties anchor the relationship: China is Vietnam's largest trading partner, while Vietnam holds the top spot among ASEAN nations as China's biggest partner, with deeply integrated supply chains.
- Lam's August 2024 visit to China featured Xi hosting a tea gathering at the Great Hall of the People shortly after Lam was named general secretary of Vietnam's ruling Communist Party, with both sides reaffirming economic cooperation as recently as March via Deputy PM Bui Thanh Son and Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Hanoi.
- South China Sea disputes remain the most testy part of relations, with both communist neighbors still holding differing views over maritime boundaries that Vietnam calls the East Sea.
Why it matters: China is already Vietnam's largest trading partner and has locked in cooperation on rail, border economic zones, and 5G infrastructure. Lam choosing Beijing for his maiden foreign trip as state president signals that telecom is the next sector to deepen, with formal agreements likely to be signed April 14-17 — while South China Sea tensions remain the unresolved flashpoint both sides continue to compartmentalize.
