General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong visits China: Relations take a new step forward, in line with interests

From October 30 to November 1, General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong paid an official visit to China at the invitation of General Secretary and President Xi Jinping.

Vietnam and China established diplomatic relations on January 18, 1950, on the basis of the friendly relationship founded by President Ho Chi Minh and Chairman Mao Zedong and nurtured by the leaders of the two Parties and two States.

On this occasion, Vice President of the Vietnam-China Friendship Association Nguyen Vinh Quang, former Director of the China-Northeast Asia Department (Central Party Foreign Affairs Commission) had an interview with the press.

How do you evaluate the significance of General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong's visit to China this time, especially when China has just successfully organized the 20th Party Congress?

Immediately after the 20th Congress ended, General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong visited China to show our Party's support for the achievements of the 20th Congress of the Communist Party of China. This was the most practical congratulatory gesture.

General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong is a prestigious leader not only among the Vietnamese people but also among other Communist Parties in the world. Therefore, the visit is welcomed by China and is more valuable in promoting the relationship between the two Parties and the two countries.

General Secretary and President of China Xi Jinping welcomed General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong during his visit to China in January 2017. Photo: Tri Dung/VNA

I believe that after the visit, when the top leaders of Vietnam and China reach agreements and common perceptions, the relationship between the two countries will take a new step forward.

What is your opinion on the relationship between the two countries after 72 years of establishing diplomatic relations?

Over the past 72 years, Vietnam-China relations have had very good times but also had stormy times. However, in general, the main trend is still friendship, cooperation and mutual assistance. During the two resistance wars against France and the US, we received enormous and effective help from international friends, especially from the Soviet Union and China. Everyone knows that and will never forget it. That was one of the factors that contributed to the glorious victory of Vietnam's national liberation revolution.

Since 1991, when the world revolution was in decline due to the collapse of the Soviet Union and the socialist countries of Eastern Europe, Vietnam and China normalized relations, which was also the time when the two countries carried out the renovation and reform and opening up, the two sides increased exchanges, communication, and consulted each other's experiences. This was the most practical cooperation while there was no similar development model in the world.

The economic and trade cooperation between the two countries has also been constantly promoted. Currently, the trade cooperation between us and China is larger than any relationship between us and any other country.

Some historical issues have been gradually resolved. Specifically, the land border issue and the demarcation in the Gulf of Tonkin have been resolved, contributing to promoting effective cooperation in other fields between the two countries, while also contributing to peace and stability in the region.

What activities has the Vietnam-China Friendship Association done in recent years to promote relations and exchanges between the people of the two countries?

In relations with China, there are Party diplomacy, state diplomacy and people's diplomacy. The Vietnam-China Friendship Association is a people's organization, playing the role of a focal point for people's diplomacy activities with China. And this is the earliest established Friendship Association, since 1950.

We have close relations with the China-Vietnam Friendship Association of China. Over the years, the two sides have coordinated many exchange activities with the aim of enhancing mutual understanding between the people of the two countries, thereby strengthening mutual friendship.

We have organized many delegations to visit each other, organized “red tours”, and visited places that hold memories of mutual cooperation during the revolutionary period of each country. We welcomed delegations of Chinese veterans who helped Vietnam in the war against France and the US...

It is noteworthy that the two sides have established a very special and effective exchange mechanism, which is the "Vietnam-China People's Forum", in which a number of Vietnamese people who are considered to have a deep understanding of China and a number of Chinese people who have a deep understanding of Vietnam meet annually to discuss issues of concern to the people of the two countries, contributing to helping the Party and Government of each side make the right decisions in consolidating and developing the relationship between the two countries.

In recent years, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, direct exchanges have not been possible, but we have also had online exchanges with the Chinese Association or through the Chinese Embassy in Vietnam.