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Party General Secretary To Lam suits Vietnam’s development needs in new era: Chinese scholars
Chinese experts and scholars have extended their congratulations and spoke highly of the leadership role and capabilities of To Lam, who was re-elected as General Secretary of the 14th Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) on January 23 morning.
In an interview granted to the Vietnam News Agency (VNA), Professor Pan Jin’e, a senior researcher at the Academy of Marxism under the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS), said General Secretary Lam is a top leader well suited to Vietnam’s development requirements in the new era. He is described as having a strong theoretical foundation, long-term strategic vision, rich practical experience and high political credibility, playing a key role in consolidating national unity while demonstrating clear leadership in guiding the Vietnamese people towards achieving strategic goals in the new era of national rise.
A specialist on Vietnam studies, Pan noted that judging by his practical achievements over the past year, the leader has demonstrated an efficient, pragmatic and experienced working style, marked by innovation and a pioneering spirit. He is seen as a model cadre embodying the Party’s principle of the “six dares”: daring to think, to speak, to act, to take responsibility, to innovate creatively, and to confront difficulties and challenges with decisive action for the common good.
She also highlighted that General Secretary Lam places particular emphasis on foreign affairs, strengthening the CPV’s leadership in this field and making diplomacy a key and regular task. He has promoted reforms of the diplomatic system and core Party tasks, while remaining steadfast in a foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, diversification and multilateralisation. On this basis, he has set out goals to enhance Vietnam’s strategic autonomy and resilience in diplomacy, promote people-to-people and cultural diplomacy, and raise the country’s international standing and national image. The leader has also worked to ensure that Party-to-Party diplomacy effectively serves economic development and overall national interests.
Regarding relations with China, he has repeatedly underscored their importance, affirming that Vietnam consistently regards the development of ties with China as an objective necessity, a strategic choice and a top priority in its overall foreign policy.
In August 2024, the Party chief paid a state visit to China and, together with General Secretary of the Communist Party of China and President Xi Jinping, promoted the in-depth development of the Vietnam-China community with a shared future that carries strategic significance. Over the past two years, numerous substantive cooperation projects have been implemented, bringing bilateral relations to what is described as their most positive period in history.
The professor expressed hope that, following the 14th National Congress, bilateral relations under the leadership of General Secretary Lam will continue to deepen and become more substantive.
Sharing a similar view, Professor Xu Liping, Director of CASS’s Centre for Southeast Asian Studies, said he believes that with To Lam as the Party General Secretary, Vietnam will continue to strengthen the CPV’s effective and robust leadership. He described this as having profound historical significance for Vietnam’s achievement of its two centenary goals and for opening a new era of national rise.
According to Xu, the Party leader has consistently demonstrated firm faith in the CPV, a deep respect for and inheritance of revolutionary traditions, and outstanding courage, resolve and leadership acumen.
The professor said he was particularly impressed by Vietnam’s two major achievements in recent years: the vigorous campaign against corruption and wastefulness, which has contributed to building a pure and strong Party, and the effectiveness of State governance alongside breakthrough progress in administrative reform and economic opening-up./.
