Vietnam party chief to visit China’s Xi

The chief of Vietnam’s ruling Communist Party Nguyen Phu Trong will visit China next week on the invitation of President Xi Jinping, Vietnam’s government said on Tuesday, in a rare overseas trip by the ageing leader.
The visit to Beijing will take place from Oct. 30 to Nov. 2 the government said, without elaborating. It was also reported in Chinese state media on Tuesday.
Trong, 78, on Sunday sent a message to Xi congratulating him on his precedent-breaking third term as party chief, expressing hope of “further strengthening political trust, and setting a great direction for future development of the relationship between the two countries.”
China is Vietnam’s largest trading partner and a key source of imports for its fast-growing economy, including raw materials and machinery for its crucial manufacturing sector.