Vietnamese President and Communist Party General Secretary To Lam paid a state visit to China from April 14 to 17, where he met with Chinese President Xi Jinping. The trip is widely seen as To Lam’s first overseas visit since taking office for a second term. China accorded the visit high-level protocol, with both sides emphasising the need to deepen strategic cooperation amid US tariff policies and intensifying global geopolitical competition.
During the talks, Xi Jinping called for opposition to “unilateralism” and “protectionism,” and urged efforts to stabilise industrial and supply chains while strengthening cooperation in areas such as artificial intelligence, semiconductors, and infrastructure. To Lam, in turn, proposed expanding trade and investment cooperation, improving market connectivity and infrastructure interconnection, and promoting more balanced trade development. The two sides also announced the launch of a “China–Vietnam Tourism Cooperation Year” and signed 17 cooperation documents covering trade, digitalisation, vocational education, and quarantine measures.
During the visit, To Lam took multiple trips on China’s high-speed rail network between Beijing, Xiong’an, and Nanning, drawing public attention and being interpreted as an opportunity to observe China’s infrastructure development and gain experience for Vietnam’s own high-speed rail plans. Chinese state media also highlighted the trips as a symbol of deepening connectivity cooperation between the two countries.
Commentary:
Against the backdrop of escalating tariff policies under Donald Trump and growing uncertainty in global trade, this meeting not only focused on supply chain cooperation, infrastructure connectivity, and technological alignment, but also continued the long-standing “communist camaraderie” rooted in party-to-party relations.
For China, the visit represents an important step in strengthening neighbourhood diplomacy and stabilising supply chains. For Vietnam, it reflects a search for more stable economic support and investment sources amid rising US tariff pressures and global trade uncertainty.