Vo Van Thuong (center) is sworn in as Vietnam's new president at the National Assembly in Hanoi on Thursday. Nhan Huu Sang / VNA via Associated press
Beijing vows healthy and stable growth between socialist neighbors
President Xi Jinping extended on Thursday a congratulatory message to Vo Van Thuong on his election as president of Vietnam, expressing his readiness to make joint efforts with Thuong to enable the sustained, healthy and stable growth of bilateral relations.
China and Vietnam are socialist friendly neighbors connected by mountains and rivers, the president said in the message.
Xi noted that he had reached key consensus with Nguyen Phu Trong, general secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam, or CPV, Central Committee, over consolidating traditional friendship, enhancing strategic dialogue and deepening win-win cooperation last year.
He underscored that he attaches great importance to relations with Vietnam and is willing to work with Thuong to move toward the joint building of a bilateral community with a shared future that bears strategic significance.
Thuong, a member of the Politburo of the CPV, was elected as Vietnam's president on Thursday, Vietnam News Agency reported.
The country's top legislature convened a special meeting and elected Thuong with an approval rate of 98.38 percent, the report said.
In a statement, Thuong vowed to be absolutely loyal to the nation, the people, and the Constitution of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, and to work hard to fulfill the duty assigned by the CPV, the state, and the people. He will serve until the term ends in 2026.
Thuong, who was born in December 1970, is the youngest member of the CPV Politburo.
In his official biography, his hometown is listed in Vinh Long province, part of the Mekong Delta. He has a master's degree in philosophy and an advanced degree in political theory from the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics.
Thuong started his political career in 1993, working on student and youth affairs, and became secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City's Communist Youth Union in 2003.
He was elected as an alternate member of the CPV Central Committee in 2006 and was appointed first secretary of the Central Committee of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union in 2007.
In 2011, he was elected as a member of the CPV Central Committee and then appointed secretary of the Quang Ngai Provincial Party Committee, serving from August 2011 to April 2014.
He was the standing deputy secretary of Ho Chi Minh City's Municipal Party Committee from 2015 to 2020.
Thuong was reelected to the CPV Central Committee in 2016, when he became a member of the Politburo for the first time. In 2021, he was elected as a member of the committee for the third time and became a member of the Politburo for the second time. He was also assigned to serve as permanent member of the CPV Central Committee's secretariat.
Nguyen Xuan Phuc resigned as Vietnam's president on Jan 17 for personal reasons, and his membership of both the Politburo and the 13th CPV Central Committee were revoked.
The following day the National Assembly appointed Vo Thi Anh Xuan, Vietnam's vice-president since 2021, as the acting president.
Xinhua contributed to this story.
