At the invitation of Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress of China Zhao Leji, Chairman of the National Assembly Vuong Dinh Hue will lead a high-level delegation of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam to pay an official visit to the People's Republic of China from April 7-12, 2024.
On this occasion, Vice Chairwoman of the National Assembly's Foreign Affairs Committee Le Thu Ha gave an interview to the press about the contents related to the visit.
* Could you please tell us about the context and significance of National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue's visit to China?
- After 15 years since the establishment of the Comprehensive Strategic Cooperative Partnership, the relationship between the two Parties and the two countries of Vietnam and China has continuously expanded and deepened, with cooperation in many fields achieving many positive and comprehensive developments.
The two sides maintained contacts, dialogues and delegation exchanges at all levels, especially high-level visits; issued a “Joint Statement on continuing to deepen and elevate the Comprehensive Strategic Cooperative Partnership, building a Vietnam-China Community of Shared Future of strategic significance”, making efforts for the interests of the two peoples, for peace , stability, cooperation and development in the region and the world.
In that context, the official visit to China by National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue is the first high-level visit by a Party and State leader after the two countries upgraded their relations, and is also the first visit to China by Comrade Vuong Dinh Hue as Chairman of the National Assembly, which is of great significance, providing strategic direction for bilateral relations, concretizing high-level common perceptions and achievements during the visit to China by General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong (October 2022) and the visit to Vietnam by General Secretary and President of China Xi Jinping (December 2023) with 6 major cooperation directions, especially promoting "higher political trust", consolidating "a more solid social foundation", contributing to elevating and deepening the Vietnam - China Comprehensive Strategic Cooperative Partnership; affirming the consistent policy of the Party and State of Vietnam that developing relations with China is a strategic choice and top priority in Vietnam's overall foreign policy.
In the context of the cooperation between the Vietnamese National Assembly and the National People's Congress of China being constantly consolidated and developed, the visit has special significance, contributing to elevating and deepening the relationship between the two legislative bodies, making this relationship an important pillar in the overall relationship between the two Parties and the two States.
* How do you evaluate the cooperation between Vietnam and China in recent times, including cooperation between the two legislative bodies?
- The Vietnam-China relationship has generally maintained a good development momentum and achieved many important results in recent times. High-level exchanges and contacts have taken place closely, contributing to strengthening political trust and strategic orientation; the atmosphere of friendship and trust has spread to all levels, sectors, localities and people's organizations, creating a vibrant exchange and cooperation situation.
Import-export turnover between the two countries in 2023 will reach 172 billion USD. China is Vietnam's largest trading partner and largest import market.
Meanwhile, Vietnam is China's 5th largest trading partner in the world and China's largest trading partner in ASEAN.
China's cumulative investment in Vietnam reached 27.6 billion USD, ranking 6th out of 145 investment partners of Vietnam.
Tourism cooperation has gradually recovered. In the first quarter of 2024, Vietnam welcomed 1.75 million Chinese visitors, ranking second among the markets sending visitors to Vietnam.
Following the very successful official visit to China by General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong (October 2022) and the two sides issued a "Joint Statement on Continuing to Promote and Deepen the Vietnam-China Comprehensive Strategic Cooperative Partnership", in December 2023, General Secretary and President of China Xi Jinping paid a State visit to Vietnam, the two sides issued a "Joint Statement on Continuing to Deepen and Enhance the Comprehensive Strategic Cooperative Partnership, Building a Vietnam-China Community of Shared Future of Strategic Significance" and signed 36 cooperation documents in many fields, which are the foundation for developing a stable, healthy, sustainable and long-term bilateral relationship.
In the overall effort to promote “increasingly high political trust”, cooperation between the Vietnamese National Assembly and the Chinese National People's Congress has been continuously consolidated and developed in depth in recent times.
Leaders of the two sides maintain high-level exchanges and contacts in many flexible forms.
Notably, Comrade Zhao Leji's first foreign activity after being elected as Chairman of the National People's Congress of China was an online meeting with National Assembly Chairman Wang Tinghui (March 2023), discussing many major cooperation directions in the relationship between the two countries.
In addition, exchanges and cooperation between specialized committees and friendship parliamentary groups have achieved many positive results. The two sides have also maintained contact, consultation and close coordination at regional and international inter-parliamentary forums, especially the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) and the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA).
During this visit, it is expected that the two sides will sign a new Cooperation Agreement to replace the Cooperation Agreement between the National Assembly of Vietnam and the National People's Congress of China (2015) with new contents. The signing of the Agreement will be an important milestone in the history of the relationship between the National Assembly of Vietnam and the National People's Congress of China; creating a legal basis to elevate the level of cooperation between the two legislative bodies, commensurate with the height of the relationship between the two countries.
* So, Madam, what are the cooperation potentials that the two countries can continue to promote in the coming time, especially through parliamentary diplomacy?
- Vietnam and China are two neighboring brotherly countries, sharing many similarities in ideological foundation, the goal of building socialism, persevering under the leadership of the Communist Party, striving for the interests and happiness of the people...
The Party and State of Vietnam attach special importance to developing a stable, healthy, sustainable, and long-term relationship with China, considering this a consistent and continuous policy, a strategic choice, and a top priority in Vietnam's overall foreign policy.
Through this visit of National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue, I believe that in the coming time, the two sides will continue to effectively implement existing cooperation mechanisms through Party, Government, and socio-political organizations; promote cooperation potential in all fields according to the six identified pillars, focusing on: enhancing political trust; promoting defense and security cooperation; accelerating the connection of development strategies, expanding and improving the effectiveness of substantive cooperation, especially promoting economic-trade cooperation in a balanced, sustainable, and high-quality direction; promoting friendly exchanges, building a good social foundation for bilateral relations.
In particular, through the parliamentary diplomacy channel, with the new Cooperation Agreement signed between the National Assembly of Vietnam and the National People's Congress of China; the Office of the National Assembly of Vietnam and the Secretariat of the National People's Congress of China will contribute to elevating and deepening the relationship between the two legislative bodies, making this relationship an important pillar in the overall relationship between the two Parties and the two States.
The two sides will continue to increase the exchange of delegations at all levels of the National Assembly, National Assembly deputies, and delegations of People's Councils/People's Congresses of the two countries' localities; increase the exchange and sharing of professional experience and experience in the activities of the National Assembly and its agencies on: perfecting the Party's leadership method for the State; building a socialist rule-of-law State; building and perfecting institutions and policies for socio-economic development, ensuring national defense and security, protecting the Party, protecting the regime, protecting the environment, and making common contributions to the development of humanity...
Strengthen the supervisory role of the two Legislative Bodies in the implementation of the signed Cooperation Agreements between the two countries; promote the role of National Assembly/National People's Congress deputies, especially the Vietnam-China Friendship Parliamentarians' Group, in promoting friendship, consolidating consensus and building a good social foundation for the bilateral relationship; coordinate and support each other at regional and international inter-parliamentary forums, contributing to further deepening and elevating the Comprehensive Strategic Cooperative Partnership, building a Vietnam-China Community of Shared Future of strategic significance, bringing the relationship between the two Parties and the two countries into a new stage, working together to develop healthily, stably and long-term, contributing to maintaining peace and stability in the region and the world.
* Sincere thanks to Vice Chairwoman of the National Assembly's Foreign Affairs Committee Le Thu Ha.
According to VNA/Vietnam+
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