Vietnam’s President To Lam to visit China, with trade and rail links on the agenda

HANOI: Vietnam’s President To Lam will travel to Beijing this Sunday (Aug 18) on a three-day state visit, with economic cooperation and rail links high on the agenda.
China is Mr Lam’s first overseas stop since he became head of the Southeast Asian nation’s governing Communist Party earlier this month.
During the trip, he will meet Chinese President Xi Jinping, and is expected to seek market access for Vietnam’s agricultural products and high-quality investments.
The leaders are also set to accelerate plans on the construction of high-speed railway lines connecting China to Hanoi and key port cities.
Vietnam plans to complete two high-speed rail projects by 2030 as it looks to modernise its ageing transport network and facilitate trade with its northern neighbour.
Mr Lam was sworn in as Vietnam’s president in May, following which he paid visits to neighbouring Laos and Cambodia.
But China is the 66-year-old’s first trip abroad in both capacities – as president of the country and general secretary of the party.
The party lost its previous chief just last month, when old guard Nguyen Phu Trong died from illness.
“This visit is very symbolic,” said Dr Hai Hong Nguyen, a politics and international relations lecturer at VinUniversity.
“President Lam wants to send a message that he wants to follow the legacy of the late Mr Trong, who set a foundation that is very strategic and important to Vietnam-China relations.”
Mr Lam is expected to push forward the implementations of key agreements that his predecessor had sealed during Mr Xi’s visit to Hanoi last December, particularly a pact to build a “Vietnam-China community with a shared future”.
During Mr Xi’s trip, Vietnam and China agreed to strengthen several areas of cooperation, such as political trust, security and defence, collaboration at multilateral mechanisms, and better manage their disagreements.
Political power in Vietnam is traditionally shared among the top four pillars – the president and prime minister of the country, the general secretary of the Communist Party, and the chair of the National Assembly.
Mr Lam occupies two of the four positions, as well as the nation’s highest military office as secretary of the Central Military Commission, a position he naturally assumes as party chief.
A decades-long veteran in the nation’s public security apparatus, Mr Lam rapidly ascended among the governing elites. He went from being Vietnam’s chief policeman to president, and added party general secretary to his portfolio, all in less than three months.  
A new face in Vietnam’s next generation of leadership, his most recent prominent engagement in foreign policies was in June, when he hosted Russian President Vladimir Putin in Hanoi. Russia, too, has strong historical and ideological ties to Vietnam.
Vietnam’s Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son told local media that the state visit to Beijing this time will be another milestone, opening a new period in Vietnam-China relations.
Analysts say a key purpose of the visit is for the new Vietnamese leader to establish a personal rapport with his Chinese counterpart.
“Vietnam considers China-Vietnam relations a strategic choice. The two countries share a border; they share many similarities, including the structure of the political system,” said Dr Hai.
He also expects Mr Lam to discuss Vietnam’s trade deficit with Mr Xi, and push for a more balanced trade volume between the two countries.
China is Vietnam’s largest trading partner, with two-way trade accounting for US$173.3 billion last year.
However, Vietnam’s exports to China is at less than half of the value of imports, indicating its heavy reliance on Chinese goods, especially raw inputs from Vietnam’s industrial products.
Mr Lam’s upcoming visit takes place amid rising tensions in the South China Sea, where both sides have been locked in a long-running territorial dispute.
This year marks the 10-year anniversary of massive anti-China protests in Vietnam, after Beijing installed an oil rig off Vietnam’s coast near disputed islands.
Bilateral tensions in the South China Sea have been relatively well contained since.
In fact, observers note that in the past two years, Vietnam has stepped up construction there without apparent objection or interference from China.
Another key discussion in Beijing during Mr Lam’s visit will be to manage the maritime dispute.
Amid the rivalry between China and the United States, Vietnam wants to keep a balance in relationships with both countries, said observers.
“Vietnam considers the United States a strategic priority. Vietnam’s development really needs a very peaceful environment and security,” said Dr Hai.
Mr Lam’s visit will be closely watched by the domestic public, which holds deep mistrust of China due to centuries of wars.
“Relations with China are our first and foremost priority. We want to maintain friendship ties,” said Tran Tam Giap, a Hanoi resident.
“Many people in Vietnam say we are not afraid of China. If it comes down to a fight, we are ready to fight. But that presents a lot of damage. Peace and stability are in our best interests.”