 On 3 May 1940 he said farewell to his wife, left Hanoi and crossed the border into China.Giáp's wife went to her family home in Vinh, where she was arrested, sentenced to fifteen years imprisonment, and incarcerated in the Hoa Lo Central Prison in Hanoi.In China, Giáp joined up with Hồ Chí Minh, then an adviser to the People's Liberation Army.