In the overall context of Vietnam's independent, self-reliant foreign policy, aimed at peace , friendship, cooperation, and development, and the multilateralization and diversification of its foreign relations, neighborly diplomacy has always been placed at the top priority by the Party and the State. This is because relations with neighbors are the most direct and comprehensive factor affecting the peaceful and stable environment, as well as the security, development, and position of the country.
As a close comrade and neighbor of the Chinese people, immediately after the founding of the People's Republic of China, President Ho Chi Minh, in a telegram to Chairman Mao Zedong, emphasized: "The Vietnamese and Chinese peoples have a fraternal relationship spanning thousands of years of history. From now on, this relationship will become even closer to develop the freedom and happiness of our two nations, and to protect world democracy and lasting peace" [Ho Chi Minh: Telegram congratulating the founding of the Government of the People's Republic of China, Ho Chi Minh Complete Works, Volume 5, National Political Publishing House, Hanoi, 1995, page 717]. On January 15, 1950, Vietnam was one of the first countries to declare recognition of the People's Republic of China. In response to the sentiments of the Vietnamese people, on January 18, 1950, the People's Republic of China issued a declaration recognizing the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (now the Socialist Republic of Vietnam), opening a new chapter in the relations between the two countries.
Over the course of 75 years (1950-2025), Vietnam-China relations, though experiencing ups and downs, have always been characterized by solidarity, friendship, and cooperation. It can be said that Vietnam-China relations are a microcosm, fully reflecting the pioneering role of Vietnam's foreign affairs sector in promoting relations with neighboring countries. This pioneering role is clearly demonstrated in efforts to promote bilateral relations across three pillars: political, material (economy, trade, infrastructure), and social (culture, education, people-to-people exchanges), adequately addressing historical issues, ensuring the highest national interests, and fostering friendly, equal, and mutually beneficial cooperation between the two countries.
Promoting high-level exchanges, defining the framework for relations, and strengthening the political foundation.
Since the normalization of relations in 1991, leaders of the Party, State, Government, National People's Congress, and Fatherland Front of the two countries have regularly met, interacted, and exchanged views through various flexible forms. Both sides have reached a common understanding on continuing to consolidate and promote the tradition of friendship, strengthening political trust, expanding and deepening areas of cooperation, managing disagreements, and guiding and promoting the healthy, stable, and long-term development of Vietnam-China relations. Throughout the history of bilateral relations, Vietnam and China have defined their development according to the motto "friendly neighborliness, comprehensive cooperation, long-term stability, and a future-oriented approach" in 1999 and the spirit of "good neighbors, good friends, good comrades, and good partners" in 2005. In 2008, the two sides agreed to establish the framework for a comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership between Vietnam and China, the highest level and most comprehensive cooperation framework in Vietnam's relations with countries around the world, and China was also the first country to jointly build this cooperation framework with Vietnam. Following the official visit of General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong to China in October 2022 and the state visit to Vietnam by General Secretary and President of China Xi Jinping in December 2023, both sides agreed to establish a "new positioning" for bilateral relations by elevating the relationship to a comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership and building a strategically significant Vietnam-China community with a shared future.
During the highly successful State visit to China by General Secretary and President To Lam in August 2024, the two sides issued a Joint Statement on further strengthening the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership, promoting the building of a strategically significant Vietnam-China Community with a shared future, and agreed to designate 2025 as the Year of Vietnam-China Cultural Exchange. In April 2025, amidst the celebrations of the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries, General Secretary and President of China Xi Jinping made his fourth State visit to Vietnam, and the second within the same term of the two Parties' Congresses, demonstrating the high regard the Chinese Party and State have for Vietnam-China relations.
In addition, high-level visits and contacts between the two sides took place frequently in 2025, most notably the visits and participation of three key leaders – President Luong Cuong, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, and Chairman of the National People's Congress of China Zhao Leji – in important commemorative ceremonies and diplomatic activities of each other almost simultaneously. This created unprecedented highlights and contributed to the concrete implementation of the common understanding of the top leaders of the two Parties and two countries. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs also promoted the establishment of over 60 mechanisms for exchange and cooperation between the Party, the National Assembly, the Fatherland Front, and cooperation between ministries, localities, as well as cooperation in multilateral mechanisms, thereby creating a stable and solid foundation for the implementation of cooperation between the two sides. Important exchange and cooperation mechanisms/forms include high-level meetings between the two Parties; the Cooperation Committee between the National Assembly of Vietnam and the National People's Congress of China; The Vietnam-China Ministerial-level Strategic Dialogue on Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Public Security; the Spring Meeting/Annual Conference between the Party Secretaries of the Northern Border Provinces and localities in Guangxi and Yunnan (China). The Vietnam-China Bilateral Cooperation Steering Committee continues to play an important role in coordinating and promoting cooperation in various fields between the two countries.
Working together to promote substantive cooperation, contributing to strengthening the material foundation for bilateral relations.
Against the backdrop of complex and unpredictable developments in the world and the region, economic and trade relations between the two countries have continuously developed strongly, becoming increasingly deep and substantive. Since 2016, Vietnam has consistently maintained its position as China's largest trading partner in ASEAN and is currently China's fourth largest trading partner globally in terms of individual countries. China is Vietnam's largest trading partner, its largest import market, and its second largest export market. Last year, China continued to be Vietnam's largest trading partner, with bilateral trade in goods estimated at over US$250 billion, clearly demonstrating the strong development and close ties in economic and trade relations between the two countries.
Along with trade, China is currently the 6th largest foreign investor in Vietnam with 6,197 active projects, accounting for over 7.8% of total foreign direct investment in Vietnam. In the first 11 months of 2025, China ranked first in the number of new investment projects with 1,149 projects, accounting for 31.1%; and second in total registered capital with US$4.26 billion (after Singapore). Many large, high-tech Chinese enterprises have invested effectively in Vietnam. Several large, prominent projects have been accelerated, such as component 1 of the Lao Cai - Hanoi - Hai Phong railway project, which has officially commenced construction. Some existing problems and obstacles, such as the congestion of goods at some border gates in previous years, the high trade deficit, the scale and quality of investment, and the progress of some industrial and transportation cooperation projects between the two countries, have been gradually resolved through efforts by both sides.
Efforts to promote people-to-people exchanges and strengthen a solid social foundation for bilateral relations.
Cooperation and cultural exchange in the two countries have yielded many encouraging results. Currently, there are over 24,000 Vietnamese students living and studying in China, double the number from five years ago. Tourism cooperation is recovering positively, with 4.8 million Chinese tourists visiting Vietnam from January to November 2025, accounting for 25% of the total international tourists to Vietnam, making it the leading country in terms of total international visitors to Vietnam.
Exchanges and meetings between the people of the two countries have been vibrant, increasingly practical, and effective. Both sides have organized friendly exchanges between the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front and the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), as well as the Fatherland Front and CPPCC of border provinces/regions; friendly meetings between Vietnamese and Chinese youth; the Vietnam-China Youth Festival; and the Vietnam-China People's Forum.
The "Vietnam-China Humanitarian Exchange Year," commemorating the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and China, concluded with a variety of diverse, rich, and engaging activities. Highlights included the program "Meeting of Vietnamese and Chinese Students from Different Periods," attended by General Secretary To Lam and many other Vietnamese leaders, and the "Red Journey for Youth Study and Research" programs. These initiatives created positive momentum, contributing to strengthening understanding and friendship between the people, especially the younger generation, of the two countries.
Properly addressing historical territorial border issues on the basis of international law, and building a peaceful and stable environment for the development of each country and the region.
Implementing the agreements and common understandings of the high-level leaders of the two Parties and two countries, the existing issues in bilateral relations have been gradually resolved. To date, Vietnam and China have signed the Land Border Treaty in 1999, the Agreement on Delimitation and the Agreement on Fisheries Cooperation in the Gulf of Tonkin in 2000, completed all border demarcation work in 2008, and signed three documents on land border management in 2009. These are important events of historical significance, creating the foundation for building the Vietnam-China border into a border of peace, stability, and development, contributing to strengthening friendly relations and cooperation between the two countries, and making a positive contribution to peace, stability, and development in the region and the world. At sea, the two sides signed the "Agreement on Basic Principles Guiding the Resolution of the Vietnam-China Maritime Issue" in 2011, establishing and maintaining a regular government-level negotiation mechanism on territorial borders, meetings between the Deputy Foreign Ministers of the two countries, and three working group negotiation mechanisms: the Vietnam-China Expert Working Group on the Sea Area Outside the Gulf of Tonkin, the Working Group on Cooperation in Less Sensitive Areas at Sea, and the Working Group on Cooperation for Joint Development at Sea.
The valuable lessons learned during the negotiations to resolve the land border issue and the delimitation of the Gulf of Tonkin, along with the "Agreement on the Basic Principles Guiding the Resolution of the Maritime Issue between Vietnam and China" and the common understanding reached between the high-level leaders of the two countries, have created an important foundation and understanding for both sides to continue negotiations and seek measures to gradually resolve the South China Sea issue peacefully on the basis of respecting each other's legitimate rights and interests and the friendly relations between the two countries, in accordance with international law, especially the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS 1982) and the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC) signed between ASEAN and China.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will continue to play a pioneering, crucial, and ongoing role in promoting Vietnam-China relations in the coming period.
Currently, the international and regional environment is undergoing unprecedented and profound changes, which will become even more intense and unpredictable. After approximately four decades of implementing Doi Moi (Renovation) and Doi Moi (Renovation and Opening Up), both Vietnam and China have achieved tremendous historical achievements in their respective national development. Under the leadership of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam, headed by General Secretary To Lam, Vietnam aims to enter a new era, an era of national progress, an era of realizing the goal of becoming a developed country with a high income under the socialist orientation by 2045. China, under the leadership of the Communist Party of China, with General Secretary and President Xi Jinping as its core, aims to become a modern, prosperous, democratic, civilized, harmonious, and beautiful socialist power by 2049. The history of the development of relations between the two countries and the current context and requirements show that continuously strengthening and developing Vietnam-China relations is an objective requirement, making an important contribution to creating a stable and favorable environment, bringing practical benefits to the people of each country, contributing to realizing the development goals of each country, and making a positive contribution to peace, stability, prosperity, and development in the region and the world.
In this context, Vietnam continues to identify strengthening relations with China as one of the top priorities in its foreign policy. Both sides share the need to promote bilateral relations to a new stage of development at a higher, deeper, and more substantive level. With its "crucial and ongoing" role, Vietnamese diplomacy will continue to focus on coordinating and promoting the realization of the high-level common understanding on deepening and elevating the comprehensive strategic partnership, building a strategically significant Vietnam-China community with a shared future, within the overall foreign policy of the Vietnamese Party and State.
Accordingly, some key priorities for the coming period include: Firstly, continuing to strengthen higher levels of political trust, promoting high-level contacts and contacts at all levels and through channels such as the Party, Government, National Assembly, and the Fatherland Front, and enhancing cooperation in key areas such as diplomacy, defense, and public security. Secondly, we need to promote deeper and more substantive cooperation, especially in promoting balanced and sustainable economic and trade cooperation, attracting high-quality investment, creating new bright spots in science and technology cooperation, connecting transportation infrastructure, especially railways, training high-quality human resources, digital transformation, green growth, and clean energy. Thirdly, we need to strengthen a more solid social foundation and enhance friendship between the people of the two countries through continued implementation of vibrant, diverse, and effective exchange activities, objective and positive dissemination of information about each country and the bilateral relationship, and expanding cooperation in tourism, culture, education, and publishing. Fourthly, we need closer multilateral coordination to promote peace, cooperation, and development in the region and the world, and support the maintenance of ASEAN's central role. Fifth, to promote better control and resolution of disagreements on the basis of international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, maintain dialogue mechanisms, jointly build a peaceful and stable environment, and gradually seek fundamental, long-term solutions acceptable to both sides in the South China Sea.
With close coordination among Party diplomacy, State diplomacy, people-to-people diplomacy, defense diplomacy, and security diplomacy, Vietnamese diplomacy has strived to affirm its core role in strategic planning and the synchronized and effective implementation of the Party and State's foreign policy guidelines and policies.
Entering a new era, an era of national resurgence, with new responsibilities and tasks after the merger with several foreign affairs agencies, and with a "new positioning" regarding its pioneering, crucial, and ongoing role, the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs continues to uphold its fine traditions, constantly promoting relations with other countries, especially neighboring countries, to become increasingly deeper and more substantive, maintaining a peaceful and stable environment, firmly protecting independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity, and promoting diplomacy to serve development, contributing to the realization of the country's aspirations and vision for development.
Source: https://baotintuc.vn/thoi-su/ngoai-giao-viet-nam-tien-phong-thuc-day-quan-he-voi-cac-nuoc-lang-gieng-20260113211019792.htm
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