Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and Chinese president, went to the Embassy of Vietnam in China on Saturday to mourn the passing of Nguyen Phu Trong, general secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee.

Praising Nguyen Phu Trong as a staunch Marxist and a great leader of the CPV and the Vietnamese people, Xi said he had devoted himself entirely to the CPV and the country, to the Vietnamese people and to the cause of socialism in Vietnam, and had been deeply respected and admired by the party, military and people of Vietnam.

Xi recalled that over the past decade, he and Nguyen Phu Trong had maintained close contact and developed a deep camaraderie, and that last year they jointly announced the elevation of bilateral ties to a China-Vietnam community with a shared future that carries strategic significance, a milestone in bilateral ties.

"The passing of Comrade Nguyen Phu Trong has deprived us of a promoter of China-Vietnam relations and a companion for the cause of socialism, and we are deeply saddened," said Xi.

He said that Nguyen Phu Trong's outstanding contribution to the relations between the two parties and the two countries and to the cause of the global socialist movement will always be remembered.

Xi stressed that the CPC and the Chinese government firmly support the CPV in uniting and leading the Vietnamese people to develop socialism that suits Vietnam's national conditions.

It is believed that under the strong leadership of the CPV Central Committee, the Vietnamese people will surely be able to turn grief into strength and continue to make greater achievements in the cause of renovation, opening up and socialist construction, Xi said.

He said he firmly believes that China and Vietnam will continue to work together to make profound and solid progress in building the China-Vietnam community with a shared future.

Xi's visit on Saturday and a message of condolences sent by the CPC Central Committee on Friday show the great importance the CPC and the Chinese government have attached to the relations between the two parties and the two countries, according to Vietnamese Ambassador to China Pham Sao Mai.

It also shows the Chinese leader's special affection for Nguyen Phu Trong, and the Vietnamese side is deeply touched and expresses its deep gratitude, said the ambassador.

Nguyen Phu Trong attached great importance to developing relations with China and made great efforts and contributions to the development of friendship between the two countries, the ambassador said.

He said Vietnam will carry on Nguyen Phu Trong's legacy to implement the important common understandings reached by the top leaders of the two parties and the two countries, continue to take the development of friendship and cooperation with China as a strategic choice and the top priority of Vietnam's foreign policy, and push forward the building of a Vietnam-China community with a shared future that carries strategic significance.

(With input from Xinhua)

(Cover: Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and Chinese president, mourns the passing of Nguyen Phu Trong, general secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee, at the Embassy of Vietnam in Beijing, China, July 20, 2024. /Xinhua)