Vietnam tries to stabilise relations with China after ousting of President Vo Van Thuong
- Le Hoai Trung, the Communist Party’s diplomatic chief, visited China as Vietnam’s president as forced to step down amid a corruption scandal
- Hanoi has taken a low-key approach to the two countries’ ongoing territorial dispute in the Gulf of Tonkin
The visit by Le Hoai Trung, the head of the Vietnamese Communist Party’s diplomatic arm, came amid the sudden departure of Vo Van Thuong as president, after only 14 months in office amid an anti-corruption drive.
Both sides chose to gloss over the political upheaval in their statements about the visit, focusing instead on topics such as economic cooperation and relations between the two countries’ ruling Communist parties.
Trung’s visit included a meeting on Friday – the day Thuong formally resigned – with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, who promised to “intensify high-level exchanges”, according to the foreign ministry in Beijing.
01:48
Vietnam’s president Vo Van Thuong quits after just one year
Trung told Wang that the two countries should make efforts to implement “high-level common awareness, enhance political trust and consolidate a peaceful environment” while improving cooperation in “all fields”, according to the state-owned Vietnam News Agency.