Australian Professor Carlyle Thayer shares insights on General Secretary To Lam's trip to U.S.

Carlyle Thayer said General Secretary To Lam promoted Viet Nam’s international integration in the landmark Politburo Resolution No. 58 issued in January 2025, and he also coined the expression “Viet Nam's rise in the new era.” These two themes have now been demonstrated in practice by General Secretary To Lam’s bold and proactive decision to be one of the first to accept President Donald Trump’s invitation to attend the inaugural meeting ]of the Board of Peace with an initial focus on postwar reconstruction in Gaza.

General Secretary To Lam represented Viet Nam at the Board of Peace that was attended by representatives from fifty countries, including eleven heads of government or heads of state. Viet Nam is now one of twenty-two countries that have officially joined the Board of Governors headed by President Trump.

General Secretary To Lam was accompanied to Washington by an impressive delegation of high-level party and government officials. During their visit, commercial agreements worth more than US$30 billion were signed under which Viet Nam Airlines, Sun Phu Quoc and Vietjet would purchase ninety-six aircraft from Boeing.

To cap off his trip to the Washington, General Secretary To Lam later met one-on-one with President Donald Trump at The White House. General Secretary To Lam took this opportunity to reaffirm Viet Nam's commitment to promote their comprehensive strategic partnership with economic and trade cooperation a central pillar. He also offered several suggestions for future cooperation, and extended an invitation to President Trump and the First Lady to visit Viet Nam.

General Secretary To Lam’s comments led President Trump to praise Viet Nam's efforts to balance trade and to view favourably the General Secretary’s suggestions for future cooperation. Notably, President Trump stated that he would instruct relevant agencies to remove Viet Nam from the U.S. strategic export control list. This is important as General Secretary Lam had emphasized the importance of cooperation in science and technology.

General Secretary To Lam also met with U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) Jamieson Greer and notably expressed his hope that President Trump and U.S. businessmen would attend the APEC Leaders’ Week in Viet Nam in 2027. In his reply, USTR Greer observed that “negotiations for a balanced and fair reciprocal trade agreement have made significant progress and are entering a decisive phase.”

General Secretary To Lam’s decision to join the Board of Peace was a masterstroke of diplomacy demonstrating that Viet Nam was ready, willing and able to play a constructive role as a member of the international community particularly by joining efforts to bring peace to the long-standing conflict between Israel and Palestine.

General Secretary To Lam’s was also successful in building a relationship with President Trump and securing support for Viet Nam’s rise in the new era – collaboration with the United States in science and technology as a key element in Viet Nam's future development./.