Vietnam's Top Leader Visits Canada to Strengthen Bilateral Ties

General Secretary and President To Lam arrived at Ottawa International Airport on the evening of September 23 (local time), commencing his state visit to Canada at the invitation of Governor General Louise Arbour. Government officials from Canada and staff from the Vietnamese Embassy in Canada welcomed General Secretary and President To Lam at the airport. Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Dang Hoang Giang stated that this visit by the General Secretary and President will provide strong political momentum, driving Vietnam-Canada relations towards more substantive, balanced, and effective development, commensurate with the potential, strengths, and needs of both nations. The event is expected to usher in a more strategic and comprehensive phase of development between the two countries, contributing positively to peace and stability in the region and the world. Vietnam and Canada established diplomatic relations in 1973 and upgraded them to a Comprehensive Partnership in November 2017. Canada is currently promoting its Indo-Pacific Strategy, strengthening ties with ASEAN and key partners in the region. Bilateral trade between Vietnam and Canada reached $8.6 billion in 2025. In the first six months of 2026, bilateral trade hit $4.92 billion, a 27.3% increase compared to the same period last year. Vietnam is currently Canada's leading trade partner in ASEAN and the sixth-largest trade partner among the 40 countries in the Indo-Pacific. Canada is Vietnam's third-largest export market in the Americas and its seventh-largest export market globally. Vietnamese students studying in Canada have increased from 14,000 in 2017 to over 20,000 currently, marking the highest growth rate among ASEAN countries. Approximately 300,000 people of Vietnamese origin reside in Canada, ranking as the fifth-largest non-European community, concentrated in the provinces of Ontario, Quebec, British Columbia, and Alberta.