Vietnamese President To Lam paid an official visit to China from 18 to 20 August 2024 as part of his first overseas visit as party leader following his appointment to succeed Nguyen Phu Trong, former General Secretary of the Vietnamese Communist Party (VCP), who passed away last month.[i] China welcomed Vietnamese President To Lam at Capital International Airport in Beijing by Foreign Minister Wang Yi and honoured him with a 21-gun salute, the highest protocol for heads of state.[ii]
To Lam’s first foreign visit to China immediately after taking office as party leader can be considered as a move that emphasises the strategic importance of relations with China in Vietnam’s foreign policy. While this visit shows the importance Vietnam attaches to party-state relations, it also reveals To Lam’s intention to continue the high-level diplomatic legacy established with China.
Lam’s visit to China as both general secretary and head of state is also noteworthy in that it puts him on a par with Xi Jinping, making it the first visit to China by a Vietnamese leader with these two titles since the Ho Chi Minh era. The visit also shows that Vietnam has adopted a consistent and determined approach to developing its relations with China, giving them the highest priority in its foreign policy and sending a strong message that there will be no deviation in this framework.
During the meeting between Lam and Xi, 14 agreements were signed strengthening cooperation between the two countries in various fields such as political relations, trade, health, banking and infrastructure.[iii] In these meetings, China stressed that Vietnam has a priority place in its neighbourhood diplomacy and committed to expanding the Belt and Road Initiative by accelerating the construction of railway, road and port infrastructure.[iv] Lam told Xi that co-operation with China is a ‘strategic choice and the highest priority’ for Vietnam.[v]
Economic relations between Vietnam and China have gained increasing momentum over the years, becoming one of the strongest partnerships in the region. In the first seven months of 2024, China maintained its leading position in terms of foreign direct investment in Vietnam;[vi] Vietnam maintained its position as China’s largest trading partner in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) region.[vii] In light of Lam and Xi’s commitments to simplify customs procedures and strengthen connectivity infrastructure, trade volume between the two countries is expected to expand further.
It is noteworthy that Lam’s visit to China included a stop in Guangzhou, one of the most important centres in the history of the Vietnamese Communist Party (VCP), before arriving in Beijing. This city is known as a place where Vietnam’s first communist leadership cadres were trained by Ho Chi Minh. This visit reflects Vietnam’s desire to reaffirm and deepen its historical and ideological ties with China.
In Beijing, Lam visited the Memorial House of Chairman Mao Zedong and paid his respects to the late Chinese leader. The Vietnamese President emphasised the strong comradeship between Mao Zedong and Ho Chi Minh and expressed his deep gratitude for China’s valuable support for Vietnam’s struggles for independence and unification. This visit can be seen as reflecting Lam’s determination to preserve the contributions made by past leaders to Vietnam-China relations and to further strengthen these strategic ties.
Relations between Vietnam and China are complex, centred around strategic cooperation and common interests. Despite occasional tensions in the South China Sea and a trade balance in favour of China, the two countries remain committed to overcoming these challenges. It may be recalled that during Xi Jinping’s visit to Vietnam in December 2023, the two countries established the ‘China-Vietnam Community Sharing a Common Future of Strategic Importance’.[viii] This reflects the two countries’ intention to strengthen future co-operation and safeguard regional stability. This visit comes on the heels of US President Joe Biden’s visit to Vietnam in September, during which diplomatic relations between the two countries were upgraded.
Vietnam seeks to maintain balanced and good relations with both China and the United States in line with the ‘bamboo diplomacy’ approach that defines its long-standing policy of balancing Beijing and Washington. Bamboo diplomacy refers to a diplomatic strategy that symbolises flexibility and resilience in Vietnam’s relations with great powers such as the United States and China, and the main priority of this strategy is the preservation of the communist regime. However, the interests that Vietnam hopes to gain from these two great powers develop in different directions. While historical and ideological ties are at the forefront in relations with China, security and regime security concerns are more prominent in relations with the United States.
Vietnam seeks assurances from the United States that it will not attempt to overthrow communist rule. This demand for assurances is reflected in the principle of mutual respect for different political systems, which is often expressed in official talks with the United States. However, the US support for anticommunist groups on its own soil keeps Vietnam’s suspicions about US intentions alive. This is one of the reasons why Vietnam maintains a cautious approach in its relations with the United States.
In its relations with China, Vietnam seeks solidarity and positive reassurance against the common threats faced by the two communist regimes. Vietnam’s political stability is of great importance to China, as the two countries share a land border. The geographical proximity that China shares with Vietnam makes Beijing favour a politically stable Vietnam. On the other hand, for the United States, which is geographically distant from Vietnam, the consequences of a possible political instability in Vietnam will not be as critical as they would be for China. This limits Washington’s capacity to intervene in Vietnam in a credible manner when necessary, and reduces the need to bear directly the costs of possible regime changes in Vietnam. In this context, it is expected that Xi Jinping would praise Trong’s contributions to bilateral relations, describing him as a ‘good comrade and friend’ despite the deepening disputes in the South China Sea and Vietnam’s strengthening relations with the United States.
Under Trong’s leadership, Vietnam has managed to repair its political relations with China without prioritising territorial disputes in the South China Sea. This demonstrates the impact of strong party-to-party relations between the two countries, personal ties between senior leaders and a shared commitment to communist ideology in stabilising relations. By maintaining its policy, Vietnam has reaffirmed that Sino-Vietnamese relations based on communist ideology will be effective in managing such maritime disputes. The fact that Vietnam shares the same ideology with China is also advantageous for China. Because this situation contributes to eliminating a potential source of instability on its southern border. In bilateral meetings, Xi Jinping also stated that they “support Vietnam to remain loyal to the party leadership and to move towards socialism in accordance with the country’s national conditions.”[ix]
In conclusion, To Lam’s visit to China clearly demonstrates that relations with China remain a strategic priority in Vietnam’s foreign policy and that these relations are based on historical, ideological and strategic foundations. The visit is a concrete reflection of Vietnam’s efforts to preserve the communist regime, ensure continuity in party-state relations and strengthen the diplomatic legacy between the two countries. Despite the tensions, especially in the South China Sea, Vietnam remains determined to keep its relations with China on a stable footing and has successfully pursued a strategy of balanced relations with both China and the United States through ‘bamboo diplomacy’. Xi Jinping’s emphasis on his support for Vietnam’s party leadership shows that the common ideological basis and personal ties between the two countries have further strengthened relations. In this context, To Lam’s visit to China can be seen as a critical step in serving Vietnam’s long-term security and political objectives, emphasising the central role of its relations with China.
[i] “Grand welcome ceremony held in Beijing for Party General Secretary and President To Lam”, Vietnamplus, https://en.vietnamplus.vn/grand-welcome-ceremony-held-in-beijing-for-party-general-secretary-and-president-to-lam-post292137.vnp, (Access Date: 23.08.2024).
[ii] Ibid.
[iii] “Vietnam, China ink 14 agreements during To Lam’s visit”, Hanoi Times, https://hanoitimes.vn/vietnam-china-ink-14-agreements-during-to-lams-visit-327715.html, (Access Date: 23.08.2024).
[iv] “Xi Jinping meets Vietnam’s new leader To Lam to renew ‘priority’ ties”, Nikkei Asia, https://asia.nikkei.com/Politics/International-relations/Xi-Jinping-meets-Vietnam-s-new-leader-To-Lam-to-renew-priority-ties, (Access Date: 23.08.2024).
[v] Ibid.
[vi] “China leads in number of FDI projects in Viet Nam in seven months”, Viet Nam News, https://vietnamnews.vn/economy/1661446/china-leads-in-number-of-fdi-projects-in-viet-nam-in-seven-months.html, (Access Date: 23.08.2024).
[vii] “China and Vietnam strengthen ties with the first trip by the Vietnamese president and the signing of 14 agreements”, BdF, https://www.brasildefato.com.br/2024/08/23/china-and-vietnam-strengthen-ties-with-the-first-trip-by-the-vietnamese-president-and-the-signing-of-14-agreements, (Access Date: 23.08.2024).
[viii] “China, Vietnam agree to build community with shared futured that carries strategic significance”, The State Council PRC, https://english.www.gov.cn/news/202312/13/content_WS6578eb43c6d0868f4e8e21cb.html, (Access Date: 23.08.2024).
[ix] “China and Vietnam sign 14 deals from rail to crocodiles after leaders meet”, Reuters,https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/china-vietnams-top-leaders-meet-beijing-2024-08-19/, (Access Date: 23.08.2024).
