75 years of Vietnam-China relations: Historical connections create a solid foundation for a future of open cooperation

To celebrate the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and China, Vietnamese Consul General in Hong Kong and Macau (China) Le Duc Hanh and Mr. Ly Minh Han, consultant for the film "Nguyen Ai Quoc in Hong Kong" answered press interviews.

President To Lam received Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (China) Lee Ka-chiu, August 2024.

Strategic choices and top priorities

Consul General Le Duc Hanh said that Vietnam's consistent priority of a stable and healthy relationship with China, considering it a strategic choice and top priority, with the aim of strengthening the friendly neighborly relationship, the Comprehensive Strategic Cooperative Partnership and the "Vietnam-China Community of Shared Future of Strategic Significance" is of great significance in promoting the cooperative relationship between the two countries. This policy has been implemented into specific and practical actions. In particular, in the past year, during the visits and exchanges of Party and State leaders, the two sides have signed many cooperation documents and implemented them immediately with specific results.

Consul General Le Duc Hanh noted that the new point of 2024 is that Vietnamese localities and ministries will not only carry out bilateral activities, but also participate in many multilateral activities taking place in Hong Kong. On the other hand, the government, businesses and people of Hong Kong are very interested in following the agreements reached during the visits of high-ranking Chinese leaders to Vietnam and high-ranking Vietnamese leaders to China, as well as actively implementing the instructions and orientations of the central government.

Consul General of Vietnam in Hong Kong Le Duc Hanh.

Along with the major policies and orientations that have decisive significance and far-reaching impacts of the State's foreign affairs activities, complementary economic strengths and similarities in development needs are also key factors promoting the cooperative relationship between Vietnam and China in general, and Vietnam and Hong Kong in particular. In August 2024, during the first visit of a Hong Kong Chief Executive to Vietnam, Mr. John Lee used the term "great synergy" to describe the bilateral relationship, during which 33 cooperation documents were signed.

Then in September 2024, during his visit to Hong Kong to attend the Belt and Road Summit, Permanent Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Hoa Binh said, “The two economies of Vietnam and Hong Kong have many similarities and many complementary strengths.” In a discussion on the sidelines of the Asia- Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit in Peru, President Luong Cuong and Chief Executive Lee Ka-chao also mentioned this content.

According to Consul General Le Duc Hanh, the cultural closeness between the two peoples, as well as people-to-people exchanges between Vietnam and China in general and between Vietnam and Hong Kong in particular, create a natural flow to promote relations. According to a Vietnamese literary anecdote, the first Vietnamese film was filmed in Hong Kong, with one of the first Vietnamese film actors being writer Nguyen Tuan. In addition, dishes such as Vietnamese pho and Vietnamese sandwiches are very popular in Hong Kong.

Consul General Le Duc Hanh said that an extremely important factor in the Vietnam-Hong Kong relationship in particular and the Vietnam-China relationship in general is the friendly relationship between the two communist parties as well as the fact that China in general and Hong Kong in particular are the places where important historical events of significance to the Vietnamese revolution took place.

Hong Kong people are very proud to be the place where three revolutionary predecessors, founders of the countries that once operated, one of whom was leader Ho Chi Minh. On February 3, 1930, the Communist Party of Vietnam was founded in Hong Kong. To this day, the revolutionary history of President Ho Chi Minh and the revolutionary predecessors of Vietnam continue to contribute tangible and intangible values to the development of relations between Vietnam and Hong Kong. The Tai Kwun Prison relic, where Uncle Ho was detained during his time operating in Hong Kong, is still protected, preserved, and proudly introduced by Hong Kong. Not only do many Vietnamese tourists consider this a "must-see" place, but many foreign tourists also visit this relic site.

On the evening of January 16, at Dinh Le Square, Lao Cai City, Lao Cai Province, the Cultural Exchange Program to Welcome Spring Across the Border and the Vietnam-China Border People's Festival 2025 took place.

According to Consul General Le Duc Hanh, in recent times, the Consulate General of Vietnam in Hong Kong has promoted people-to-people exchanges with Hong Kong, actively participated in and enthusiastically coordinated with cultural activities and events organized by Hong Kong. In 2025, the Consulate General plans to organize a seminar on "Song Wenchu in Hong Kong - The Journey of a Great Revolutionary" to implement the project "Honoring President Ho Chi Minh, Hero of Vietnamese National Liberation, Outstanding Cultural Figure Abroad". This activity is also meaningful in celebrating the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and China and the 135th birthday of President Ho Chi Minh, as well as an opportunity to enhance mutual understanding and deepen relations with Hong Kong - a place that marked an important stage in the revolutionary journey of President Ho Chi Minh as well as the founding place of the Communist Party of Vietnam - a major historical event of the Vietnamese revolution.

Inherit to continue

Meanwhile, Mr. Ly Minh Han said that the leaders of Vietnam and China always value and preserve the precious asset of the traditional friendship that President Ho Chi Minh, President Mao Zedong and previous generations have built and cultivated, and actively inherit and continue to continuously build the friendship between the two countries.

Mr. Ly Minh Han said that the State visit to China by General Secretary and President To Lam (August 2024) and the State visit to Vietnam by General Secretary and President Xi Jinping at the end of 2024 will further promote the political, economic and trade relations between the two countries to develop better.

In recent years, the relationship between Vietnam and Hong Kong in the fields of trade, tourism, and cultural exchange has developed strongly. Many Hong Kong people travel to Nha Trang and highly appreciate this destination. Mr. Ly Minh Han hopes that the exchange between Vietnam and Hong Kong in the above aspects will continue to develop.