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China’s Xi sends congratulatory note to ‘comrade’ Lam, Vietnam’s new party chief

  • Telegram from President Xi Jinping, China’s party chief, comes within hours of Vietnamese President To Lam being named to top position

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To Lam, the new general secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam, is a former public security minister who oversaw a national anti-corruption drive. He became president in May after a series of leadership shake-ups. Photo: AFP
Chinese President Xi Jinping sent a congratulatory telegram to Vietnam’s new party chief To Lam on Saturday, with a call for further efforts to bolster political trust between the two neighbours.
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The message was sent hours after Lam, who is the Vietnamese president, was named to the nation’s top position – general secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam.

Lam was unanimously elected by the party’s core central committee in Hanoi on Saturday morning.

The 67-year-old career security official replaces Nguyen Phu Trong, Vietnam’s longest-serving party chief who died two weeks ago.

03:23

Xi Jinping says Vietnam is a ‘diplomatic priority’ as Chinese leader seeks closer bilateral ties

Xi Jinping says Vietnam is a ‘diplomatic priority’ as Chinese leader seeks closer bilateral ties

Xi, who is also party secretary of the Chinese Communist Party, addressed Lam as “comrade”, a reference highlighting the links between their parties.

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