Vietnam President Visits Philippines to Boost Trade and Security

The Vietnamese leader, who also heads the Communist Party, is scheduled to arrive in Manila on May 31 and stay until June 1. During the two‑day visit, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. will host him to talk about trade deals and ways to cooperate on maritime security. The Philippines has been working hard to strengthen ties with allies, especially after holding its biggest joint defence drill last month. Both countries claim parts of the South China Sea, but they rarely clash; their navies have even played friendly games together in the Spratly Islands to show goodwill.Both Vietnam and the Philippines have faced tension with China, which claims most of the sea area. They have had stand‑offs and recently held joint exercises in 2024. The Vietnamese president will first visit Thailand, then go to Singapore on Friday where he will speak at the Shangri‑La Dialogue security forum. He had met Chinese President Xi Jinping earlier this year, marking his first overseas trip since taking office as the most powerful figure in Vietnam.