A visit paid to China by General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Nguyen Phu Trong on October 30-November 2 is believed to reinforce the political trust between CPV and the Communist Party of China (CPC).

General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Nguyen Phu Trong (R) and General Secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and China’s President Xi Jinping in Vietnam in 2015. Photo: VNA

The visit, which will be made at the invitation of CPC’s General Secretary and China’s President Xi Jinping, demonstrates the strong relationship between the two parties and neighboring countries and bring the neighborly friendship and comprehensive strategic partnership to a new level of stability, health, and sustainability.

It meets the fundamental and long-term interests of the two parties, countries and peoples, for peace, stability, cooperation, and development of the region and the world as Trong stated in his congratulatory message sent to Xi shortly after the CPC's secretary general was re-elected for the third term at the Party's 20th National Congress which concluded on October 23.

The two leaders are expected to discuss strategic issues, contributing to “enhancing political trust and laying the groundwork for the future growth of the two nations’ relationship.”

This will be Trong’s third visit to China and he will be the first foreign leader to the East Asian country after its Party Congress.

Between 2020 and 2022, Trong and Xi held four phone talks, with a focus on deepening the relations in the new period to make the ties full of high political trust and more effective cooperation.

Tightened Vietnam-China relations are also largely built by economic ties. China is Vietnam’s leading trade partner, supplying electronic components, machine parts, and raw materials to Vietnam’s fast-growing manufacturing sector.

Vietnam is China’s biggest trade partner among ASEAN member states and sixth largest in the world.

According to the General Department of Vietnam Customs, the two-way trade in 2021 rose 24.6% on-year to US$165.8 billion, but around two-thirds of the trade turnovers were imports to Vietnam.

Efforts to reduce the trade deficit have been made by top Vietnamese leaders over the past time. In response, Chinese leaders promised to work on the issue.