Here’s something that doesn’t happen every day. Just one week after being elected Vietnam’s president, To Lam flew to Beijing for a state visit. Oh, and by the way—he’s also the Communist Party chief. This is his *second* time making China his first overseas trip after taking a new top job. The first was in August 2024, within 10 days of becoming party general secretary.
So what’s going on?
Two words: strategic necessity
Vietnam is caught in a perfect storm. The Middle East crisis has spiked oil prices—and Vietnam imports 88% of its crude from the Gulf. The US just slapped 20% tariffs on Vietnamese exports while demanding zero tariffs on American goods. And let’s not forget: China has been Vietnam’s largest trading partner for years. In 2025, two-way trade hit $256.4 billion, up nearly 25%.
But here’s the real kicker: railways. Vietnam still uses old colonial-era meter-gauge tracks that don’t connect with China’s standard gauge. That means slow, costly cross-border logistics. Meanwhile, China built the Laos-China railway and the Jakarta-Bandung high-speed rail. Vietnam risks being left behind. So To Lam is now pushing three standard-gauge rail links—including the 390-km Lao Cai-Hanoi-Haiphong line—as a “strategic breakthrough.”
There’s also a quiet security shift. In March, China and Vietnam launched a first-of-its-kind “3+3” strategic dialogue—foreign, defense, and public security ministers meeting together. That’s not small talk. It signals Hanoi wants to deepen trust on everything from border crime to maritime issues.
Of course, Vietnam isn’t abandoning its other partners. But in a world of chaos—Middle East fires, US tariff threats, energy shocks—Beijing offers something rare: predictability. To Lam’s double-first trip is a bet that stability with China is worth more than short-term maneuvering.
I am an attorney in the Washington DC area, with a Doctor of Law in the US, attended the master program at the National School of Administration of Việt Nam, and graduated from Sài Gòn University Law School. I aso studied philosophy at the School of Letters in Sài Gòn.
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I have worked as an anti-trust attorney for Federal Trade Commission and a litigator for a fortune-100 telecom company in Washington DC.
I have taught law courses for legal professionals in Việt Nam and still counsel VN government agencies on legal matters.
I have founded and managed businesses for me and my family, both law and non-law.
I have published many articles on national newspapers and radio stations in Việt Nam.
In 1989 I was one of the founding members of US-VN Trade Council, working to re-establish US-VN relationship.
Since the early 90's, I have established and managed VNFORUM and VNBIZ forum on VN-related matters; these forums are the subject of a PhD thesis by Dr. Caroline Valverde at UC-Berkeley and her book Transnationalizing Viet Nam.
I translate poetry and my translation of "A Request at Đồng Lộc Cemetery" is now engraved on a stone memorial at Đồng Lộc National Shrine in VN.
I study and teach the Bible and Buddhism. In 2009 I founded and still manage dotchuoinon.com on positive thinking and two other blogs on Buddhism.
In 2015 a group of friends and I founded website CVD - Conversations on Vietnam Development (cvdvn.net).
I study the art of leadership with many friends who are religious, business and government leaders from many countries.
I have written these books, published by Phu Nu Publishing House in Hanoi:
"Positive Thinking to Change Your Life", in Vietnamese (TƯ DUY TÍCH CỰC Thay Đổi Cuộc Sống) (Oct. 2011)
"10 Core Values for Success" (10 Giá trị cốt lõi của thành công) (Dec. 2013)
"Live a Life Worth Living" (Sống Một Cuộc Đời Đáng Sống) (Oct. 2023)
I practice Jiu Jitsu and Tai Chi for health, and play guitar as a hobby, usually accompanying my wife Trần Lê Túy Phượng, aka singer Linh Phượng.
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