Xi tells Vietnam’s Lam keeping socialist path is ‘top priority’

BEIJING – Chinese President Xi Jinping vowed closer ties with Vietnam over the two countries’ shared political system as he met the South-east Asian nation’s party chief and newly appointed president To Lam in Beijing.

“Safeguarding the socialist system and the ruling status of the Communist Party constitutes the largest shared strategic interest of the two parties of China and Vietnam,” Mr Xi said during talks with Mr Lam on April 15, according to a CCTV readout.

While China has boasted about the advantage of the shared socialist system with Vietnam in the past, it is rare for Mr Xi to make such a strong case for the Communist Party’s rule when he meets foreign leaders. Both countries should “remain firmly confident in their chosen path and system”, he added.

Vietnam seeks greater cooperation with China on security, defence and trade, according to a statement on the Vietnamese government website, posted after the talks. Hanoi wants to work with Beijing to secure energy supplies, the statement said, as the war in Iran disrupts global energy flows.

The visit marks Mr Lam’s first overseas trip since securing the presidency last week, consolidating his grip on power as both head of state and Communist Party general secretary.

While new Vietnamese party chiefs traditionally make China their first foreign stop, the trip was delayed by the leadership transition, with Mr Lam instead visiting the US earlier to maintain ties with Hanoi’s other key economic partner.

A range of agreements were signed during the trip including on railway cooperation, logistics and the leasing of aircraft from Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China, known as Comac, a statement on the Vietnam Communist Party website said.

“Political security must be placed as the top priority,” Mr Xi said, adding that the two nations should make better use of their strategic dialogue mechanism on diplomacy, defence, and public security.

He pledged to deepen cooperation in emerging sectors including artificial intelligence and semiconductors, and said China welcomes more high-quality imports from Vietnam.

Mr Xi is meeting a string of leaders this week as US President Donald Trump presses ahead with a naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz while pursuing further negotiations with Iran.

The Chinese leader lamented that the international order is “crumbling into disarray” when he met Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez on April 14, and told Abu Dhabi’s crown prince that China will continue to play a constructive role in the Middle East.

Mr Xi also met Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on April 15, during which he touted the stability of ties with Moscow, and will host Mozambique President Daniel Francisco Chapo later this week.

Vietnam’s trade with China reached US$256 billion (S$325.7 billion) in 2025, up almost 25 per cent from the year before, according to Vietnamese government data, underscoring the country’s reliance on Chinese inputs at the same time as it exports heavily to the US. Bloomberg