The operation of the Vietnamese Consulate General in Chongqing will be a substantial step forward, contributing to realizing the common vision of the two countries' senior leaders in the three Joint Statements during bilateral state visits from 2023 onwards.
Sharing the significance of this important event, Vietnamese Consul General in Chongqing Bui Nguyen Long mentioned the potential for cooperation between localities of the two countries as well as the direction of activities of the Consulate General in the coming time.
According to Consul General Bui Nguyen Long, this is the first time the Vietnamese Government has established a diplomatic representative office in the Western region of China, an area with great potential for comprehensive cooperation with Vietnam. The Consulate General's consular area covers Chongqing city and Sichuan province, both of which are localities of strategic importance and development planning for China in particular and for bilateral cooperation between Vietnam and China in general. Chongqing city is positioned by China as a pillar of the Western Development Strategy, the intersection of the Yangtze River Economic Belt, a gateway connecting the world on land with priority given to high-quality economic development. Meanwhile, Sichuan province is oriented to become a locality with a green, balanced development model, a national ecological shield and a center for promoting Chinese culture and tourism, playing the role of a high-tech locomotive, a capital for developing the semiconductor industry.
In the context that Vietnam aims for economic growth of more than 8% in 2025 and double-digit growth by 2030, while actively implementing important Central Resolutions on institutional reform, international integration, science and technology development, innovation, digital transformation and private economic development, strengthening cooperation with the Southwest region of China - currently contributing over 10% of the total trade turnover of the two countries - will open up cooperation opportunities in all fields, especially in the strengths of Chongqing and Sichuan that Vietnam is in need of, such as building a modern transportation and logistics network, connecting infrastructure, developing high technology, industrial production, applying high-tech agriculture, developing renewable energy, sustainable tourism, and training human resources.
Assessing the potential for cooperation between Vietnamese localities with Chongqing and Sichuan, Consul General Bui Nguyen Long said that Chongqing and Sichuan are the economic, scientific, technological, cultural and educational centers of the Southwest region of China. With an economic scale of 1,350 billion USD in 2024, accounting for over 7% of China's total GDP, Chongqing and Sichuan have an economic growth rate higher than the national average. In particular, with its location at the strategic connection point of the "Belt and Road" and the Yangtze River economic belt, Chongqing city has a natural advantage in intermodal transportation by 4 modes: road - rail - waterway - air; has a logistics system connecting domestically with 72 cities in 18 provinces of China, and access to 538 ports in 125 countries and regions worldwide.
On the basis of the relatively open Vietnamese economy, Vietnamese localities have the conditions to take advantage of and effectively promote the geographical proximity advantage, strengthen infrastructure connections with Chongqing and Sichuan to gradually penetrate deeper and more conveniently into the Chinese market, promote the export of goods and services to the European market. Practice shows that compared to transporting goods from Vietnam to Europe by waterway, rail transport through the Southwest region of China has equivalent costs but the transportation time can be shortened to 1/3. In addition, the economies of the two localities have strengths that complement Vietnam's economic sectors. Chongqing and Sichuan with developed industries, focus on research and development (R&D) and high-tech manufacturing, especially in the fields of automobile manufacturing, electric vehicle batteries, electronic components, chips - semiconductors. Therefore, not only localities but also Vietnamese enterprises will have access to new, modern technologies.
In the context of the Comprehensive Strategic Cooperative Partnership, the building of a Vietnam-China Community of Shared Futures has strategic significance and is constantly deepening, Consul General Bui Nguyen Long said that the potential for cooperation between Vietnamese localities with Chongqing and Sichuan is huge, with a comprehensive cooperation scope with much room. Closely following the foreign policy of the Party and State, identifying diplomacy serving the country's economic development as a key task, the Consulate General will proactively learn and share valuable experiences of these two localities with Vietnamese provinces and cities in related fields such as trade, culture, tourism, urban planning, infrastructure development with inter-regional and inter-local connectivity, etc.; at the same time, actively connect and promote effective cooperation between localities and businesses of the two countries, creating the most favorable conditions for friendly exchanges and enhancing mutual understanding between the people of Vietnam and Chongqing and Sichuan.
Sharing about the activities to promote friendly exchanges between the two countries on the occasion of the Vietnam - China Humanitarian Exchange Year in the context of a newly established Representative Office, Consul General Bui Nguyen Long said that 2025 marks the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and China (1950 - 2025), which is also the year identified by the two countries' senior leaders as the Vietnam - China Humanitarian Exchange Year. Based on identifying the strengths of Chongqing and Sichuan in culture, education, tourism, etc. as well as Vietnam's comparative advantages in related fields, the Consulate General will actively implement a number of plans such as:
Firstly, actively promote cultural, artistic and historical exchanges between the people, scholars and researchers of the two countries on the basis that Vietnam and China both have a rich culture, rich cuisine, diverse arts, many similarities and unique features. Besides, Chongqing city is also where Uncle Ho conducted revolutionary activities in the period before 1945; the relic of Uncle Ho's office is respected by the local government and preserved at the Hongyan Revolutionary Museum, an important red address contributing to educating revolutionary traditions and close cooperative relations between the two Parties and two countries.
Second, strengthen connections with local government education agencies, prestigious universities and educational institutions in Chongqing and Sichuan, especially in fields such as medicine, electronics, engineering, construction, artificial intelligence (AI), etc., thereby promoting the development of joint training programs, student exchanges, scholarships, as well as creating necessary favorable conditions for Vietnamese students to live and study in the Southwest region of China.
Third, strengthen coordination with relevant agencies and organizations to organize activities to promote Vietnam's tourism potential and scenic spots to tourists from Chongqing and Sichuan, especially in the context that these two localities are located deep inland and have no coastline; at the same time, persistently promote administrative procedure reform, closely following legal regulations to create maximum favorable conditions in issuing Vietnam entry and exit documents for local tourists.
Consul General Bui Nguyen Long affirmed that in the coming time, the Consulate General will continue to explore, explore and realize the potential for cooperation into specific results, including focusing on promoting infrastructure connectivity, transportation, logistics, promoting cooperation, learning from experiences in science and technology development, digital transformation, promoting Vietnamese enterprises and localities to cooperate with Chinese enterprises and localities; promoting the establishment of sister cities, enhancing trade exchanges, increasing the flow of Vietnamese goods into the Chinese market, promoting friendly cooperation, people-to-people exchange... continuing to make positive contributions to the Vietnam - China comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership.
Source: https://baotintuc.vn/thoi-su/mo-them-canh-cua-moi-thuc-day-quan-he-hop-tac-viet-nam-trung-quoc-20251031115630767.htm
Comment (0)