Vietnam-China relations deepened by trade activities

China Daily recently published an article: “Cross-border trade promotes China-Vietnam relations” reflecting on trade activities at the two countries’ border gates. The exchange of goods here continues to deepen the relationship between China and Vietnam.

According to Tin Tuc, the article said that Vietnam’s cross-border shopping boom has fueled a wave of Chinese goods heading south. This excitement is reflected in the China-ASEAN Cross-Border Electronic Logistics Industrial Park (Hekou), where more than 30 live-streaming studios offer sales pitches in both Chinese and Vietnamese. Many Vietnamese streamers visit Chinese factories, where they showcase products live to viewers back home. These Chinese-made goods are shipped from customs warehouses in China and can reach Vietnam within a week.

While consumer goods flow south, Vietnamese agricultural products head north. Trucks pass through Hekou, loaded with Yunnan vegetables, flowers, and fruits, along with dragon fruit, coffee, cassava, passion fruit, and even lychees. According to statistics, during Vietnam’s lychee season, more than 100 trucks enter China via Hekou every day, with each truck clearing customs in less than 10 minutes on average.

"China-Vietnam agricultural cooperation is highly complementary, with huge potential and tangible results," said Ma Zhigang, an official with China's Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs.

In particular, economic and trade cooperation between Vietnam and China has maintained strong momentum, maintained stable and sustainable growth, and increasingly deepened.

Lao Cai international border gate. (Illustration photo: VNA).

According to Counselor Nong Duc Lai, in 2024, economic and trade cooperation will continue to be a bright spot in bilateral relations. In the context of a decline in trade between China and many partners, especially major partners, Vietnam is one of the few partners that has maintained stable trade with China, with double-digit growth. By country, Vietnam is China's fourth largest trading partner in the world and continues to maintain its position as China's largest trading partner in ASEAN.

The work of opening the market for agricultural products has also recorded positive results, creating favorable conditions for goods to travel in both directions. Since the beginning of the year, customs clearance activities at border gates have basically been smooth. Authorities and localities with border gates on both sides have actively coordinated to resolve arising issues to overcome and minimize the problem of goods congestion at border gates that often occurred during holidays and main seasons in the past, minimizing costs for businesses.

In addition to goods, people-to-people exchanges have also linked the two countries. According to official data, in 2025, more than 10,600 Vietnamese tour groups - totaling more than 120,000 tourists - entered China through the Hekou border gate.

During the visits and working sessions of senior Party and State leaders, the two sides signed many cooperation agreements, most of which were economic and trade agreements, thereby creating a premise for trade cooperation between the two countries in 2025 and the following years.

Source: https://thoidai.com.vn/quan-he-viet-nam-trung-quoc-sau-sac-hon-boi-cac-hoat-dong-thuong-mai-215292.html