China Vietnam Photo: VCG

General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and Vietnamese President To Lam kicked off his three-day state visit to China as he arrived in Guangzhou, South China's Guangdong Province on Sunday. 

In Guangzhou, Lam reportedly plans to visit sites linked to the legacy of late Vietnamese leader Ho Chi Minh, who was engaged in revolutionary activities in China, and conduct exchanges with China-Vietnam friendly individuals.

This marks his first overseas trip since becoming the general secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee. 

Lam was elected General Secretary of the CPV Central Committee on August 3, following the passing of former General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong on July 19.

During his time in Guangzhou, Lam plans to follow the "red footprints" of the late Vietnamese leader Ho Chi Minh and review his revolutionary activities in China, while engaging in exchanges with local representatives, according to CCTV news.

Ho had a profound friendship with China and was deeply respected by the Chinese people, and Guangzhou was where this bond first began.

In the early 20th century, Guangzhou attracted many Vietnamese patriots to come and engage in revolutionary activities, making it an important overseas base for comrades like Ho. In November 1924, Ho came to Guangzhou from Moscow to serve as the translator for Soviet Union advisor Mikhail Borodin, media reported.

The site of the Vietnamese Youth Political Training Class and the Vietnamese Youth Revolutionary Comrades Association, located in Guangzhou's Yuexiu District, is not only an important memorial site where Ho engaged in revolutionary activities, but also a significant witness to the deep friendship between the Communist Parties and peoples of China and Vietnam. In 2008, it was declared a provincial level cultural relic protection site.

The site officially opened to the public on March 26 this year after going through comprehensive repairs and upgrades by the Guangdong Revolutionary History Museum. Previously, the site was only open to Vietnamese dignitaries by appointment.

China is Vietnam's largest trading partner, with Guangdong accounting for 20 percent of the bilateral trade, and enjoying a productive collaboration with Vietnam in various fields, including in mutual visits, trade and investment, and cultural exchanges, media reported.

During a trip to Guangdong in June, Nguyen Trong Nghia, head of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee's Commission for Information and Education, expressed hope of boosting economic and trade cooperation with the province.

Huang Kunming, secretary of the Communist Party of China Guangdong Provincial Committee, spoke highly of the positive results in the economic, trade, investment and tourism cooperation between Vietnam and Guangdong in particular, stressing that he supports and encourages local firms to promote investment in Vietnam while facilitating Vietnamese investment and business in the province.

Global Times