Why Canada's rolling out the red carpet for Vietnamese President Tô Lâm
In state visit, middle powers likely to deepen trade, energy, say experts
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experts → roll → trade
From a welcoming ceremony with military honours to a lavish state dinner — as far as diplomatic events go, a state visit is as formal as it gets: the ultimate symbol of friendly bilateral relations.
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it → welcome → relations
Today, Canada will be greeting Vietnamese Leader Tô Lâm with such a warm gesture.
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Canada → greet → gesture
Lâm — who serves both as the president and the first general secretary of Vietnam's Communist Party — will be welcomed by Governor General Louise Arbour and Prime Minister Mark Carney, in a moment that could be a turning point for Canada-Vietnam relations.
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that → serve → relations
The Southeast Asian country is a major trading partner, reaching $20.6 billion in two-way trade 2025.
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country → reach → trade
But it also has a checkered human rights record and keeps in good standing with adversaries like Russia and North Korea.
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it → have → Russia
So why has Canada chosen its leader for its first state visit of 2026?
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Canada → choose → 2026
CBC News spoke with several experts ahead of the occasion on what Canada stands to gain from closer ties to Vietnam.
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Canada → speak → Vietnam
In some ways, Canada and Vietnam have much in common: Both countries are middle powers, sharing a border with juggernauts (the U.S. and China, respectively).
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countries → have → juggernauts
Both nations have also been steadily increasing their bilateral trade in recent years — Vietnam is now Canada's largest trading partner in Southeast Asia.
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Vietnam → increase → Asia
"Canada and Vietnam have had a comprehensive partnership since 2017," said Julie Nguyen, chair of the Canada-ASEAN Initiatives at the York Centre for Asian Research, referencing industries like trade, defence, science and diplomacy.
"
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Nguyen → have → trade
It is time for the two countries to elevate their partnership to the next level in order to ensure economic resiliency, security.
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countries → elevate → security
Vietnam is racing to become a high-income country by 2045.
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Vietnam → race → 2045
In order to reach that goal, it will have to move into advanced manufacturing, science, technology and AI development, Nguyen says.
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Nguyen → reach → manufacturing
"All of these products and services can be provided by Canada."
Canada is also working to finalize a free trade agreement with the Association of South East Nations (ASEAN).
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Canada → provide → Nations
Vietnam could prove clutch in those efforts, since it is a prominent member of the intergovernmental regional organization, says Jeff Nankivell, president and CEO of the non-profit think-tank, the Asia Pacific Foundation.
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Nankivell → prove → tank
And, Nankivell says, Canada is likely to find a willing partner in Vietnam, which has also faced punishing American tariffs, with the U.S. at one point slapping a 40 per cent levy on goods determined to have been transshipped through Vietnam.
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U.S. → say → Vietnam
"Everyone in the world is looking to diversify," he said.
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he → look → world
"When we knock on the door of a country like Vietnam, it opens very quickly because they have a similar interest in diversifying."
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they → knock → interest
It's one of the fastest-growing economies in the world and its population is relatively young and well educated.
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population → grow → world
That's of interest to Canada, because it could provide commodities like liquified natural gas (LNG), says Nankivell.
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Nankivell → provide → gas
"On conventional energy, LNG and crude oil, there could be statements of intention on the Vietnamese side to look to Canada for future supplies," he said.
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he → look → supplies
Canada could also respond to Vietnam's ambitious nuclear power program, says Nankivell.
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Nankivell → respond → program
"You might see announcements or memoranda of understanding related to closer co-operation to explore the deployment or acquisition of Canadian nuclear technology in Vietnam.
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You → see → Vietnam
But Canada and Vietnam also have key differences in values.
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Canada → have → values
Human Rights Watch highlighted this in an open letter addressed to Carney and Arbour about Vietnam's crackdown on political dissidents.
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Watch → highlight → dissidents
Amnesty International has accused Lâm's government of using a vague penal code to crack down on dissent and suppress freedom of expression.
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International → accuse → expression
He has also travelled to North Korea as recently as October of last year, a country with a dismal human rights record and from which Canada has suspended full diplomatic relations since 2010.
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Canada → travel → 2010
Lâm has also held high-level talks earlier this month at the Kremlin with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
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Lâm → hold → Putin
Nankivell says it's an important reminder — and stronger trader relationships will only help Canada have more leverage in advancing liberal values.
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Canada → say → values
"It is still very much in Canada's national interest to continue working towards a world where human rights are better respected than they are today, but you need channels for that," he said.
"Having a state visit with the leader of a country like Vietnam is an opportunity to deepen those ties."
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Having → continue → ties
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