Vietnam President To Lin to visit China to discuss trade, railways

The rise of Carrie Lam

Political power in Vietnam is traditionally shared among four pillars: the president and prime minister, the general secretary of the Communist Party and the chairman of the National Assembly.

Lam holds two of those four posts, while also serving as China’s top military post, secretary of the Central Military Commission, which he naturally holds as party secretary.

Lam worked in Vietnam’s public security sector for decades and rose rapidly through the ranks of the ruling elite, going from Vietnam’s police chief to president to general secretary of the Communist Party in less than three months.

A new face in Vietnam’s new generation of leaders, his most recent prominent involvement in foreign policy came in June when he chaired Russian President Vladimir Putin in HanoiRussia also has close historical and ideological ties with Vietnam.

Strong economic ties

Vietnamese Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son told local media that President Xi’s state visit to Beijing will be another milestone, opening a new era in Vietnam-China relations.

Analysts say a major purpose of Vietnam’s new leader’s visit is to build personal ties with Chinese leaders.

Dr. Hai said: “Vietnam sees the China-Vietnam relationship as a strategic choice. The two countries are neighbors and have many similarities, including political system structures.”

He also expects Lam to discuss Vietnam’s trade deficit with Xi and push for a more balanced trade volume between the two countries.

China is Vietnam’s largest trading partner, with bilateral trade reaching US$173.3 billion last year.

However, Vietnam’s exports to China are less than half of its imports, indicating that Vietnam is heavily dependent on Chinese goods, especially raw materials for Vietnam’s industrial products.

Tensions in the South China Sea

Lam’s upcoming visit comes at a time of heightened tensions in the South China Sea, where the two sides have long been embroiled in a territorial dispute.

This year marks the 10th anniversary of massive anti-China protests in Vietnam over Beijing’s installation of an oil rig off its coast near disputed islands.

Since then, bilateral tensions in the South China Sea have been relatively well controlled.

Indeed, observers note that Vietnam has stepped up its construction there over the past two years, with no apparent Chinese opposition or interference.

Another important topic of discussion during Carrie Lam’s visit to Beijing was Dealing with maritime disputes.

Keeping Balance

Observers say that against the backdrop of Sino-US competition, Vietnam hopes to maintain a balanced relationship with both countries.

“Vietnam sees the United States as a strategic priority,” Dr. Hy said. “Vietnam does need a very peaceful environment and security for its development.”

Lam’s visit will be closely watched by people in Hong Kong, where there is a deep distrust of China due to centuries of war.

“Relations with China are our top priority. We want to maintain friendly relations,” said Hanoi resident Tran Tri Gia.

“Many people in Vietnam say we are not afraid of China. If a war breaks out, we are ready to fight. But it will cause great damage. Peace and stability are in our best interest.”