Why Canada's rolling out the red carpet for Vietnamese President Tô Lâm

Today, Canada will be greeting Vietnam's Tô Lâm with such a warm gesture. Lâm — who serves both as the president and the first general secretary of Vietnam's Communist Party — will be welcomed by Gov. Gen. Louise Arbour and Prime Minister Mark Carney, in a moment that could be a turning point for Canada-Vietnam relations.

The Southeast Asian country is a major trading partner, reaching $20.6 billion in two-way trade 2025. But it also has a checkered human rights record and keeps in good standing with adversaries like Russia and North Korea.

So why has Canada chosen its leader for its first state visit of 2026? CBC News spoke with several experts ahead of the occasion on what Canada stands to gain from closer ties to Vietnam.