Vietnamese President and Communist Party chief To Lam will visit the Philippines from May 31 to June 1 for a state visit hosted by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., focused on advancing trade, security, and maritime cooperation. The visit reflects Manila's broader effort to build regional alliances as it navigates tensions with China, which claims sovereignty over most of the South China Sea — a body of water where both the Philippines and Vietnam have overlapping disputes with Beijing. The two countries have maintained notably warm ties despite minor territorial overlaps, with their navies holding joint coast guard exercises for the first time in 2024.