Vietnam’s President To Lam met Xi Jinping in Beijing on Wednesday, using his first foreign trip since taking office to reinforce ties with Vietnam’s powerful neighbour — even as Hanoi treads carefully between China and the United States.
The two leaders held talks at the Great Hall of the People and signed a series of cooperation agreements, according to Chinese state media, though details were not immediately disclosed.
Strategic ties, careful balancing
Lam has repeatedly described relations with Beijing as a “strategic priority,” calling for deeper integration across supply chains, infrastructure and economic planning.
Writing in the People’s Daily and speaking at Tsinghua University, he emphasised a shift from expanding trade volume to improving the quality of cooperation.
But the outreach underscores Vietnam’s delicate balancing act.
The United States remains its largest export market, while China is its biggest supplier — leaving Hanoi heavily exposed to shifts in both economies.
Trade boom — and imbalance