General Secretary Xi Jinping's visit will create strong momentum for Vietnam-China relations

At the invitation of General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and his wife, President Vo Van Thuong and his wife, General Secretary and President of China Xi Jinping and his wife will pay a State visit to Vietnam from December 12-13.

In an interview with the press ahead of the visit, Deputy Head of the Central External Relations Commission Ngo Le Van emphasized that this visit of General Secretary and President of China Xi Jinping to Vietnam is of great significance, along with the historic and very successful visit of General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong to China (October 2022), which will create favorable conditions and strong momentum for the development of the Vietnam - China Comprehensive Strategic Cooperative Partnership.

In particular, since Vietnam and China established a comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership framework in 2008, the highest foreign relations framework that Vietnam has established with its partners, Vietnam-China relations have developed in a very positive, comprehensive, substantive and bright trend.

According to Deputy Head of the Central External Relations Commission Ngo Le Van, comprehensiveness is the highlight throughout the Vietnam-China relationship, demonstrated through the two sides regularly maintaining high-level visits and exchanges on all channels of the Party, State, Government, National Assembly, Fatherland Front, etc. The two General Secretaries of the two Parties regularly maintain strategic exchanges with many flexible forms and measures, and cooperation between departments, ministries, branches, central and local agencies is promoted and effectively promoted in all fields.

Political and diplomatic relations between the two sides have been constantly strengthened and consolidated. Cooperation in defense and security has become a pillar in bilateral relations. Economic, trade and investment cooperation has all developed very positively. People-to-people exchanges have taken place actively in many diverse and practical forms.

Deputy Head of the Central External Relations Commission Ngo Le Van emphasized that Vietnam attaches great importance to developing relations with China, considering it a top priority and a strategic choice in its foreign policy. China also identifies relations with Vietnam as a priority in its neighborly foreign policy. The two sides attach great importance to and promote the strategic guiding role of the relationship between the two Parties in the overall bilateral relations between Vietnam and China.

Over the past time, the Vietnam-China comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership has maintained a positive development momentum and achieved many important results, in which high-level exchanges and contacts have taken place regularly, notably the historic official visit to China by General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong in October 2022 and high-level visits and exchanges in 2023 by President Vo Van Thuong, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue, and Standing member of the Secretariat Truong Thi Mai...

Exchanges and cooperation through the Party, the National Assembly of Vietnam/National People's Congress of China, the Vietnam Fatherland Front/Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, and between ministries, sectors, people's organizations, and localities of the two countries have been continuously promoted and deepened; substantive cooperation areas have achieved many encouraging developments, and quality has been increasingly improved.

China continues to be Vietnam's largest trading partner, while Vietnam maintains its position as China's largest trading partner in ASEAN and the fourth largest in the world by country criteria.

Notably, China became Vietnam's largest export market for agricultural, forestry and fishery products in the first 10 months of 2023; China's investment capital in Vietnam continued to increase, the two sides promoted cooperation in new areas such as digital economy and green growth; completed negotiations on many important cooperation documents, including the Cooperation Plan to promote connectivity between the "Two Corridors, One Belt" framework and the "Belt and Road" Initiative.

At the recent 15th meeting of the Vietnam-China Bilateral Cooperation Steering Committee, the two sides had in-depth discussions and identified a number of key tasks: Strengthening exchanges and contacts at high and all levels; effectively implementing exchange and cooperation mechanisms between the two Parties, the National Assembly and the National People's Congress, the Vietnam Fatherland Front and the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference; promoting the important role of the two Ministries of Foreign Affairs in coordinating and promoting cooperation in various fields; effectively implementing defense, security and law enforcement exchange mechanisms.

The two sides agreed to continue applying effective and practical measures to promote sustainable and healthy economic, trade and investment cooperation; increase China's investment in Vietnam in fields using advanced and environmentally friendly technology; coordinate to remove obstacles in backlogged projects; and speed up the implementation of non-refundable aid projects in Vietnam.

The two sides also agreed to promote cooperation in the fields of science and technology, environment, transportation, agriculture, and health; expand cooperation in the fields of culture, education, tourism, and people-to-people exchange; and increase mutual support at multilateral forums.

The two sides also exchanged frank opinions on maritime issues, agreeing to continue to adhere to high-level common perceptions, including the Agreement on basic principles guiding the settlement of maritime issues between Vietnam and China; and promote maritime negotiation mechanisms to achieve substantive progress./.