A historic milestone in Vietnam-China relations.

NDO - Recently, China's top diplomat gave an interview to the country's press about the state visit to Vietnam by General Secretary and President of China Xi Jinping and the future of China-Vietnam relations after this historically significant visit.

Member of the Politburo , Director of the Office of the Central Foreign Affairs Commission of the Communist Party of China, and Minister of Foreign Affairs of China, Wang Yi. (Photo: Xinhua News Agency)

According to Wang Yi, member of the Politburo, Director of the Office of the Central Foreign Affairs Commission of the Communist Party of China, and Minister of Foreign Affairs of China, the state visit to Vietnam by General Secretary and President Xi Jinping was the most important political event in Sino-Vietnamese relations in 2023. The visit was a great success, of great historical significance, and marked a new milestone in the relationship between the two Parties and the two countries.

The State visit to Vietnam by General Secretary and President of China Xi Jinping was the most important political event in Sino-Vietnamese relations in 2023. The visit was a great success, of great historical significance, and marked a new milestone in the relationship between the two Parties and the two countries. (Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi)

The head of China's Foreign Ministry reviewed three key outcomes of the visit: a new level of Sino-Vietnamese relations; new achievements in practical cooperation; and a new chapter in traditional friendship. Regarding the new level of Sino-Vietnamese relations, Mr. Wang Yi stated that in 2017, General Secretary and President of China Xi Jinping chose Vietnam as the destination for his first overseas trip after the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China. In 2022, General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong was the first foreign leader to visit China after the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China. This year marks the 15th anniversary of the establishment of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between the two countries, with General Secretary and President Xi Jinping visiting Vietnam. This is the third reciprocal visit between the General Secretaries of the two Parties, demonstrating the special friendship between China and Vietnam and the high regard both sides have for the relationship between the two Parties and countries.

According to Wang Yi, the Community of Shared Future between China and Vietnam is of strategic significance, a crucial historical decision by the high-level leaders of the two Parties and two countries, a "brilliant moment" of this visit, the most important political achievement attained by both sides, and the culmination and inevitable choice of 15 years of the China-Vietnam Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

Regarding new achievements in practical cooperation, Mr. Wang Yi stated that the economic complementarity between the two countries is significant, and bilateral economic and trade cooperation is very close. China has always been Vietnam's largest trading partner, and Vietnam is China's largest trading partner in ASEAN. Currently, both countries are in a crucial stage of reform and development. Both sides have advantages and needs to strengthen mutually beneficial cooperation. During this visit, the two sides signed more than 30 cooperation documents in various fields such as: the "Belt and Road" initiative, development cooperation, digital economy, green development, transportation, quarantine, defense and security cooperation, maritime cooperation, etc. This has contributed to further promoting the development of Sino-Vietnamese relations in both breadth and depth. According to Wang Yi, the "six more" goals – higher political trust, more substantive defense and security cooperation, deeper substantive cooperation, a more solid social foundation, closer multilateral coordination, and better control of disagreements – established by the General Secretaries of the two Parties, serve as the direction for comprehensively strengthening bilateral cooperation in the fields of politics, economy and trade, security, local cooperation, and people-to-people exchanges, while building a model of mutual benefit, win-win, and shared development. Regarding the new chapter of traditional friendship, Wang Yi stated that China and Vietnam share mountains and rivers, have many cultural similarities, and possess numerous inspiring stories of friendly exchanges. President Ho Chi Minh also spent a long time engaging in revolutionary activities in China. The famous poem by President Ho Chi Minh, "The deep affection between Vietnam and China / Both comrades and brothers," is still widely circulated in both countries, becoming a vivid image of Sino-Vietnamese relations and the most precious asset of the people of both nations.

During the visit, General Secretary and President of China Xi Jinping and senior Vietnamese leaders repeatedly emphasized the importance of inheriting and promoting the traditional friendship between the two countries in the new context.

In particular, bilateral cooperation should focus more on the people, especially strengthening cooperation between youth and localities of the two countries, enhancing the awareness of the people of both countries about the China-Vietnam Community of Shared Future, as well as understanding of the traditional friendship between the two Parties and countries, and continuously consolidating the social foundation for China-Vietnam friendship. The top Chinese diplomat believes that, under the strategic direction of the high-level leaders of the two Parties and countries, with the support of all strata of the people of both countries, China-Vietnam friendship will endure over time. Furthermore, Minister Wang Yi noted that international media have paid special attention and all agree that this visit by General Secretary and President of China Xi Jinping demonstrates the importance placed on Vietnam, and will have significant and far-reaching impacts on the regional and global situation.

HUU HUNG - HO QUAN

Reporter of Nhan Dan Newspaper based in China

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