Lê Duẩn
Lê Thanh, unsuccessfully visited China in August 1975 to seek aid. On 22–28 September, Lê Duẩn and Lê Thanh visited China in a second attempt. During the visit the Vietnamese wanted to assure the Chinese they were interested in maintaining good relations with both China and the Soviet Union. Deng Xiaoping stated that both superpowers acted as imperialists and sought hegemony. Lê Duẩn in a speech did not mention the Soviet Union by name, but noted that Vietnam had succeeded because of help from other socialist countries, meaning the Eastern bloc. Two agreements were signed, but no non-refundable aid agreement was made. No joint communique was issued and Lê Duẩn left earlier than planned. According to Anne Gilks, the Sino/Vietnamese alliance effectively ended with the Fall of Saigon. Relations with China further deteriorated; several leading pro-Chinese communists were purged from the party.