General Secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and President of China Xi Jinping on Saturday visited the Vietnamese Embassy in Beijing to mourn the passing of General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam Nguyen Phu Trong.

Party General Secretary Trong passed away at 1:38 pm on July 19 in Hanoi.

The top Chinese leader was present at the Vietnamese Embassy around 4:00 pm on Saturday (Beijing time) to express his grief over the death of his Vietnamese counterpart, according to Chinese media.

He was accompanied by several Chinese officials, including Cai Qi, member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China, Secretary of the Secretariat of the Chinese Communist Party and Chief of the CPC Central Committee’s Office, and Wang Yi, Politburo member, Director of the Office of the Chinese Communist Party’s Commission for Foreign Affairs and Minister of Foreign Affairs.

In the hall of condolence at the embassy, wreaths sent by Xi and other members of the Standing Committee of the CPC Central Committee Political Bureau — Li Qiang, Zhao Leji, Wang Huning, Cai Qi, Ding Xuexiang, and Li Xi — were laid in front of a portrait of Vietnamese Party chief Nguyen Phu Trong.

There were also wreaths sent by the Central Committee of the CPC, the National People's Congress, the State Council, the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, the Central Military Commission, the International Department of the CPC Central Committee, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of National Defense, the Beijing Municipal Government, and relevant people's organizations.

After Chinese Party General Secretary and President Xi paid homage in front of the portrait of Vietnamese Party chief Trong, he bowed down three times, and then wrote in the condolence book, the Xinhua News Agency reported.

The Chinese leader told Vietnamese Ambassador to China Pham Sao Mai that Party General Secretary Trong was a staunch Marxist and a great leader of the Communist Party of Vietnam and the Vietnamese people.

Xi emphasized that Party General Secretary Trong dedicated his entire life to the Vietnamese Party, state, and people. He led the nation to significant achievements in building socialism in Vietnam and earned the support and admiration of the Party, military, and people.

“Over the past 10 years, comrade Nguyen Phu Trong and I had several close meetings and established deep comradeship,” the Chinese official said.

Xi also underscored a key milestone marked last year when he and the Vietnamese leader declared that they would jointly build a community with a shared future.

“The passing of comrade Nguyen Phu Trong made us lose a good comrade who boosted the China - Vietnam ties and accompanied in the development of socialism,” he expressed his great sadness.

“China always keeps in mind the significant contributions by comrade Nguyen Phu Trong to fostering the relationship between the two Parties and the two countries as well as the socialist movement in the world."

The Communist Party of China Central Committee steadfastly supports the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam to unite and lead Vietnamese people toward powerful development.

China’s Party, state, and people believe that Vietnam’s Doi Moi (Renovation) and the cause of building socialism in Vietnam will generate greater achievements in the future.

China is willing to join hands with Vietnam to bolster the comprehensive strategic partnership and build a China-Vietnam community with a shared future that carries strategic significance in a deeper and more substantive manner.

Vietnamese Ambassador Mai stated that the Chinese leader's visit to the Vietnamese Embassy to mourn the passing of the Vietnamese Party chief, along with the condolences extended earlier by Chinese leaders, demonstrated that China's Party and state highly value their relationship with the Vietnamese Party and state.

The diplomat affirmed that the Vietnamese Party, state, and people always see the development of the relationship with China’s Party, state, and people as one of the former’s top priorities.

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