Party chief Nguyen Phu Trong begins China visit

Trong and some high-ranking Vietnamese officials left Hanoi at around 9 a.m. and arrived in Beijing more than three hours later.

They were greeted by Liu Jianchao, director of the International Liaison Department of the Chinese Communist Party, and Vietnamese ambassador Pham Sao Mai.

Vietnam's Communist Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong (3rd, L) is greeted by Liu Jianchao, director of the International Liaison Department of the Chinese Communist Party, at Beijing International Airport, China, October 30, 2022. Photo by Vietnam News Agency

The three day (Sunday-Tuesday) visit follows soon after Trong sent a message of congratulations to Xi on the latter’s re-elected as Party chief for the 20th term of the China Communist Party.

Trong said he highly valued Xi’s contributions to Vietnam-China relations and expressed his willingness to take the two countries' relations to new heights based on mutual interest and in the interest of peace, stability, cooperation and development in the region and the world over.

Chinese media, citing professor Pan Jin'e from the School of Marxism under the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, have remarked that Trong is the first foreign leader to visit China following the country's 20th National Congress.

"The visit of General Party Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong will help the two countries boost their political credibility and relations on all aspects," Pan said.

Vietnam is China's largest commercial partner in ASEAN and sixth largest in the world.

The two countries' bilateral trade reached $165.8 billion in 2021, up 24.6% from 2020, according to the General Department of Vietnam Customs.