On Aug. 19 (Monday), after Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Vietnam’s new communist party leader To Lam in Beijing, China and Vietnam signed 14 documents spanning cross-border railways to crocodile exports.
Lam’s visit to Beijing is his first overseas trip since he was appointed party chief early this month, signaling a desire to strengthen ties as trade and investment grow, despite occasional clashes over boundaries in the South China Sea.
“China has always regarded Vietnam as a priority in its neighborhood diplomacy, and supports Vietnam in adhering to the Party leadership, taking the socialist path suited to its national conditions, and deepening the cause of reforms and socialist modernisation,” Xi said, underscoring establishing good working relations and a personal friendship with Lam.
- US and Vietnam Relations ‘Upgraded’ Following Biden’s Visit
- China and Philippines Arrive at ‘Provisional Arrangement’ for South China Sea Resupply Missions
Lam described the bilateral ties as a “top priority in Vietnam’s external policy” and called his trip “the affirmation of the Party and the Vietnamese government to value the relation with China”.
Both countries are ruled by authoritarian communist parties.
Success
You are now signed up for our newsletter
Success
Check your email to complete sign up
During the meeting Lam asked China for soft loans and technology to develop his country’s transport infrastructure. He also agreed with Xi Jinping to boost defense and security ties, according to a statement on the Vietnamese government’s website.
China and Vietnam signed documents on planning and feasibility studies for standardized railway routes after preliminary deals were signed in December during Xi’s state visit to Hanoi.
In December, both countries said they would work on cross-border railway connectivity, naming three projects that included one connecting through mountainous Lao Cai in Vietnam’s northwest to the port city Haiphong, and a potential one linking China’s Shenzhen to Haiphong.
Upgrading the Vietnamese side of the railways could boost trade and investment, as a growing number of Chinese manufacturers move some export-oriented operations to Vietnam amid trade tensions between China and the United States.
Other documents signed covered cooperation between central banks, media, health and the quarantine and inspection of coconuts, crocodiles, and durians.
Chinese state media Xinhua said after the signing, Xi and Lam continued talks on important issues of common concern over tea in a “cordial and friendly atmosphere.”
Before traveling to Beijing, Lam arrived in the southern Chinese province of Guangzhou on Sunday, Aug. 18. His three-day trip to China that would include meetings with Premier Li Qiang and other Chinese top officials.
While in Guangzhou, he visited some Chinese locations where Ho Chi Minh, a founding leader of Vietnam’s communist movement, had conducted “revolutionary” activities.
Reuters contributed to this report.
