President To Lam (R) and Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference Wang Huning (Photo: VOV)

President Lam expressed heartfelt gratitude to the CPC Central Committee for its prompt and sincere message of condolence. He also thanked General Secretary and President Xi Jinping for his visit to the Vietnamese Embassy in China to pay tribute to and shared many heartfelt remarks about the late General Secretary.

He said Wang’s presence at the state funeral of General Secretary Trong in his capacity as the Special Envoy of General Secretary and President Xi Jinping reflects the friendly neighborliness, the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership, and the Vietnam-China community with a shared future that carries strategic significance. It also demonstrated the sincere feelings and respect of the Chinese Party, State, and people as well as President Xi himself, toward the Vietnamese General Secretary.

Wang said the passing of General Secretary Trong is a tremendous loss of not only the Vietnamese Party, State and people, but also the Chinese Party, State and people and the cause of peace and progress of humankind.

The Party, State and people of China will always stand shoulder to shoulder with their Vietnamese counterparts, supporting Vietnam’s renewal and socialism building and actively promoting the building of the China-Vietnam community with a shared future that carries strategic significance, he said.

He described Vietnam as a priority and a strategic choice in China's neighborhood diplomacy policy.

President Lam stressed that Vietnam gives top priority to the relationship with China in its overall foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, multilateralization and diversification.

Both sides agreed to continue closely adhering to and effectively realizing the important common perceptions reached by General Secretary Trong and General Secretary and President Xi, and maintaining high-level exchanges in the near future.