Deputy Prime Minister Truong Hoa Binh answers questions about Vietnam-China relations

Deputy Prime Minister Truong Hoa Binh firmly believes that the Vietnam-China relationship will definitely have even stronger and greater developments.

Politburo member and Permanent Deputy Prime Minister Truong Hoa Binh answered questions about the results of cooperation between Vietnam and China, including Guangxi, in recent times as well as prospects for cooperation in the coming time.

Permanent Deputy Prime Minister Truong Hoa Binh. Photo: Natural Resources & Environment Newspaper

PV: Could you please give a general assessment of the achievements of exchange and cooperation between Vietnam and China in the fields of politics, economics and trade? What are your expectations for exchange and cooperation between the two countries in the coming year?

Deputy Prime Minister Truong Hoa Binh:Vietnam and China are two close neighboring countries with many similarities. The traditional friendship of "both comrades and brothers" was painstakingly built by President Ho Chi Minh and Chairman Mao Zedong and previous generations, and nurtured in the revolutionary struggle and national liberation of both countries. It has become a valuable common asset of the two countries and two peoples, which needs to be preserved, inherited and promoted.

In its foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, multilateralization and diversification, the Party, Government and people of Vietnam attach great importance to preserving and developing friendly neighborly relations and comprehensive cooperation with the Party, Government and people of China. This is one of the top priorities in Vietnam's foreign policy.

Over the past time, with the efforts of the Party, Government and people of the two countries, the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership between Vietnam and China has maintained positive development momentum, achieving encouraging results in many fields.

Specifically, in terms of politics, the political relationship and trust between the two countries have been strengthened and developed positively, demonstrated through the regular high-level contacts between the two Parties and the two Governments. Since the beginning of 2017, there have been, are and will be 3 visits by the highest-ranking leaders of the two countries: General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong's visit to China (January 2017), President Tran Dai Quang's visit (May 2017), General Secretary and President Xi Jinping will visit Vietnam and attend the APEC Summit (November 2017).

That fact demonstrates the attention and importance of the Party, State and Government of the two countries to consolidating and enhancing the friendly neighborly relations and comprehensive cooperation between Vietnam and China.

Economic relations between the two countries are increasingly expanding and deepening. China is currently Vietnam's largest trading partner and Vietnam is also China's largest trading partner among ASEAN countries.

China's investment in Vietnam has expanded in terms of scale, fields and locations, with a total registered investment capital of over 11 billion USD to date, ranking 8th out of 116 countries and territories with investment projects in Vietnam. China continues to lead in the number of tourists to Vietnam and Vietnam is also the leading ASEAN country in the number of tourists to China.

Exchanges and cooperation between ministries, sectors and localities of the two countries have been promoted. The fields of cooperation have achieved encouraging progress. We welcome the Chinese ministries and local sectors to promote new progress in the fields of cooperation between the two countries; provide aid to help some Vietnamese localities overcome the consequences of natural disasters; and create favorable conditions for cooperation between localities of the two countries. People-to-people exchanges, especially those between the young generations of the two countries and people of border localities, have taken place vigorously, contributing to strengthening the traditional friendship between the two peoples.

With the good foundations and bases as mentioned above, in the coming time, the two sides need to continue to effectively implement the important common perceptions reached by the two countries' senior leaders; increase high-level visits and contacts; expand friendly exchange activities between the two peoples; promote mutually beneficial and practical exchange and cooperation mechanisms to bring benefits and happiness to the people of both sides.

I firmly believe that, with the attention of the senior leaders of the two Parties and States and the joint efforts of both sides, the Vietnam-China relationship will certainly have even stronger and greater developments.

PV: Vietnam is the country participating in the China-ASEAN Expo with the largest scale among ASEAN countries, having its own pavilion for 12 consecutive years, and actively organizing business delegations to attend the Expo every year. How does Vietnam strengthen exchanges and cooperation with China and other ASEAN countries through CAEXPO, Deputy Prime Minister?

Deputy Prime Minister Truong Hoa Binh:The China-ASEAN Trade and Investment Fair and Summit is an important exchange activity in the cooperation between China and ASEAN. The success of 13 Fairs since 2004 has contributed significantly to promoting the ASEAN-China strategic partnership to continuously develop in depth, becoming one of the major events that ASEAN and Chinese enterprises are most interested in and participate in the region.

This year, Vietnam continues to participate with more than 250 exhibition booths and is the country with the largest scale of participation among ASEAN countries; the products on display mainly include industries with potential and strengths of Vietnam such as agricultural products, processed foods, footwear, consumer goods, household appliances, wooden furniture, and handicrafts.

In recent years, Vietnam's economy has continued to develop steadily and achieved impressive results: Gross Domestic Product (GDP) has continuously maintained a growth rate of more than 6% and is expected to increase by 6.5 - 7% in the period 2017 - 2020; the economy is highly open with trade turnover about 1.7 times higher than GDP.

To date, Vietnam has built strategic and comprehensive partnerships with many key partners, has economic and trade relations with 224 countries and territories, and is considered one of the successful developing countries in attracting FDI.

As an active member of the ASEAN Community, Vietnam always attaches importance to and supports ASEAN-China cooperation; is ready to promote its role as a bridge between the ASEAN Economic Community and China, and together with ASEAN countries, strongly promote cooperation in all fields, maintain peace and stability, resolve differences for the benefit of all parties to ensure that economic and trade cooperation activities are carried out smoothly, making positive contributions to peace, cooperation, development and common prosperity of the region.

Vietnam always encourages and creates favorable conditions for ASEAN and Chinese enterprises to develop business cooperation and expand investment in Vietnam, for the benefit of all parties.

Vietnam's active participation in the CAEXPO Fairs has vividly demonstrated the importance that the Vietnamese Government, localities and enterprises attach to strengthening comprehensive cooperation with China and Chinese localities, contributing to the success of the China-ASEAN Fair, continuing to be an important bridge in cooperation between China and ASEAN. At the same time, this is also an opportunity to promote the national image, brand and products, and increase the export of Vietnam's strengths to ASEAN countries and China.

PV:In recent times, cooperation between Guangxi and Vietnamese localities has made much progress, contributing positively to the development of Vietnam - China relations. What are your expectations for cooperation between Vietnam and Guangxi in the coming time, Deputy Prime Minister?

Deputy Prime Minister Truong Hoa Binh:In recent times, along with the development of Vietnam-China relations, the friendly neighborly relations and mutually beneficial cooperation between Vietnamese localities and Guangxi have continued to achieve many important results, becoming a model in local cooperation between the two countries.

For many years, Guangxi has been the leading Chinese locality in economic and trade cooperation with Vietnam. Trade between Guangxi and Vietnamese localities always accounts for a high proportion of the total Vietnam-China turnover; cooperation between the two sides in the fields of tourism, agriculture, culture, education, people-to-people exchange, and border management has also achieved many encouraging developments and is increasingly going into depth.

The Party, State and Government of Vietnam always attach importance to strengthening effective and substantive cooperation with Chinese localities, especially valuing the position of Guangxi in the cooperative relationship between the two countries, especially in the context that the two sides are actively promoting the connection between the "two corridors, one belt" framework and the "belt and road" initiative.

I appreciate the efforts of Guangxi and Vietnamese border localities in consolidating the tradition of friendly neighborliness and deepening cooperation in various fields, contributing to promoting the Vietnam-China comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership.

In the context of Vietnam and China carrying out the renovation and reform process, the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership between the two countries is maintaining its current momentum of development, and localities in Vietnam and Guangxi have more favorable conditions to strengthen friendship and promote cooperation.

Based on the achievements of cooperation, in the coming time, Guangxi and Vietnamese localities need to actively exchange and apply effective measures to comprehensively implement the common perceptions of the two countries' senior leaders; constantly consolidate traditional friendship, effectively promote the role of existing cooperation mechanisms; actively implement substantive and mutually beneficial cooperation areas, especially promoting balanced, stable and sustainable economic and trade cooperation.

The two sides need to facilitate customs clearance activities, minimize cargo congestion at border gates; properly implement legal documents on Vietnam-China land border management, strengthen crime prevention, maintain security and order in border areas, and actively contribute to building a peaceful, stable, cooperative and developing Vietnam-China border.

PV:Thank you Deputy Prime Minister!

According to VOV