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General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam and President To Lam. Photo: AFP

General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and Vietnamese President To Lam arrived in Beijing on Sunday after a stop in Guangzhou, South China's Guangdong Province, earlier on Sunday, kicking off his three-day state visit to China. 

Experts believe the trip reflects Vietnam's emphasis on strengthening its ties with China as a top priority while maintaining a balanced diplomacy among major powers, noting that the focus of this visit is not only on enhancing coordination between two socialist countries but also on strengthening infrastructure cooperation such as railway construction.

Lam was elected as general secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee on August 3, following the passing of former General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong on July 19. 

During his time in Guangzhou, Lam followed the "red footprints" of the late Vietnamese leader Ho Chi Minh and review his revolutionary activities in China, according to CCTV news.

Lam's choice of Guangzhou as his first stop in China holds historical significance as this year marks the 100th anniversary of Ho's revolutionary activities in Guangdong. It signifies the deep-rooted revolutionary tradition and friendship between the two countries, and highlights the close ties between the two parties, said Yu Xiangdong, director of the Institute for Vietnam Studies at the Zhengzhou University. 

In the early 20th century, Guangzhou attracted many Vietnamese patriots, making it an important overseas base for comrades like Ho.

Lam, his wife and a high-ranking delegation of Vietnam paid a floral tribute to martyr Pham Hong Thai at his grave in the Huanghuagang Memorial Park in Guangzhou, and visited the relic site of the headquarters of the Vietnamese Revolutionary Youth League in the city early Sunday morning, Vietnam News Agency reported. 

In addition, the Vietnamese delegation also aims to learn from China's reform and opening-up process by studying the case of Guangzhou, which has been at the forefront of this process. What's more, given that Guangdong ranks at the top among Chinese provinces in terms of trade volume with Vietnam, the delegation would like to seek deepened cooperation to promote its own economic development, said Gu Xiaosong, dean of the ASEAN Research Institute of Hainan Tropical Ocean University.

China is Vietnam's largest trading partner, with Guangdong accounting for 20 percent of the bilateral trade, and enjoying a productive collaboration with Vietnam in various fields. 

Last December, China and Vietnam agreed to build a community with a shared future that carries strategic significance. Lam's visit will also be the two top leaders' first face-to-face interaction since assuming the new positioning of bilateral relations.

Under Nguyen Phu Trong's term, Vietnam's foreign policy has adhered to a "bamboo diplomacy" featuring a balanced strategy among major powers including China, the US, and Russia. Lam is expected to follow the path set by his predecessor and develop relations with Washington in terms of trade and security cooperation, Yu noted. However, the first visit in China underscores Hanoi's emphasis on strengthening ties with Beijing within its balanced foreign policy framework, given that China and Vietnam are not only neighbors but socialist countries led by communist parties, Gu said. 

Eyeing pragmatic cooperation

Boosting rail links with China is a crucial step in Vietnam's economic development, as the country is experiencing a rapid takeoff of its economy yet it's has insufficient infrastructure to support this speed. 

Therefore, Lam will likely discuss railway cooperation with China, which possess the world's leading high-speed rail technology and great financial advantages. What's more, given the geographical proximity, once high-speed rail is established between the two countries, Vietnam can access the Chinese market and further expand toward Europe by connecting through China, as Europe is also a significant market for Vietnam, observers said. 

In the first seven months of this year, a total of 6,850 containers have been transported through the China-Vietnam railway, a 16-fold increase compared to the previous year, putting bilateral trade onto an "express lane," according to authorities in Nanning, South China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

Another major focus of Lam's trip is to enhance communication between the two parties, said experts. Given that China and Vietnam are among the world's few socialist countries, it is crucial to enhance political exchanges to prevent peaceful evolution, Gu said.