Vietnam-China political trust continues to be consolidated and deepened

Chinese Ambassador to Vietnam Hung Ba commented that the working trip of President Vo Van Thuong and the high-ranking Vietnamese delegation to Beijing to attend the third BRF demonstrated that political trust between the leaders of the two Parties and two countries continues to be consolidated and deepened.

Chủ tịch nước dự BRF: Tin cậy chính trị Việt Nam-Trung Quốc tiếp tục được củng cố và đi vào chiều sâu

Chinese Ambassador to Vietnam Hung Ba at a press conference on October 13. (Photo: LT)

Practical cooperation reaches highest level in history

Speaking to reporters at a press conference on October 13, Ambassador Hung Ba said that after 15 years of establishing a comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership, the relationship between Vietnam and China has maintained a stable and well-developed trend. "Practical cooperation between the two countries has reached its highest level in history in many areas and there are still many opportunities for development," the Chinese diplomat emphasized.

In recent times, the two countries have increased high-level contacts. In particular, General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong's visit to China late last year, right after the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China. Ambassador Hung Ba emphasized that this was a historic visit, as the head of the Communist Party of Vietnam was the first foreign leader that China invited and officially received right after the 20th National Congress.

During the visit, the two sides issued a 13-point Joint Statement, including strategic contents guiding the development of bilateral relations in all fields in the coming time; at the same time, they agreed to continue to consolidate and develop relations according to the 16-word motto "friendly neighbors, comprehensive cooperation, long-term stability, looking towards the future" and the spirit of 4 goods "good neighbors, good friends, good comrades, good partners".

Since the beginning of the year, senior leaders of the two sides have continued to maintain regular exchanges and contacts. Most recently, President Vo Van Thuong will lead a high-ranking Vietnamese delegation to attend the third Belt and Road Forum (BRF) in Beijing from October 17-20, at the invitation of General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and President of the People's Republic of China Xi Jinping.

According to Ambassador Hung Ba, this BRF has received attention and attention from the international community. According to statistics, more than 130 countries and international organizations have registered to attend the forum.

The Chinese diplomat stated that this working trip by President Vo Van Thuong and the high-ranking delegation of Vietnam "demonstrates that political trust between the leaders of the two Parties and two countries continues to be consolidated and deepened."

Another highlight in the bilateral relationship is the constantly increasing coordination, exchange and cooperation in regional and international issues.

According to Ambassador Hung Ba, Vietnam and China are two socialist countries, two developing and emerging economies, sharing important interests in international issues. China always values and supports Vietnam to continue to promote its important and constructive role in regional and international issues.

General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and General Secretary and President of China Xi Jinping witnessed the signing of cooperation documents between the two countries on October 31, 2022. (Source: VNA)

More opportunities than challenges

In addition to the above achievements, the Chinese Ambassador noted that Vietnam and China have also strengthened investment, economic and trade cooperation. This is an important field for the development of the two countries.

The third BRF has attracted the attention and attention of the international community. According to statistics, more than 130 countries and international organizations have attended the forum.

President Vo Van Thuong will attend the opening ceremony and high-level forum within the framework of BRF.

The world’s second-largest economy remains Vietnam’s largest trading partner. In turn, Vietnam is also China’s largest trading partner in the ASEAN bloc. Vietnam is China’s fourth-largest trading partner by country, after the US, Japan, and South Korea.

In 2022, the two-way import-export turnover will reach 175.56 billion USD, an increase of 5.47%. In the first 9 months of 2023, the total import-export turnover between Vietnam and China will reach 122 billion USD.

In terms of investment, this year, China's investment in Vietnam reached nearly 2.1 billion USD with 478 projects. This country is the second largest foreign direct investment (FDI) investor in Vietnam, after Singapore.

In terms of tourism, China has been the leader in the number of tourists to Vietnam for many years. In 2019, the number of Chinese tourists to Vietnam reached more than 5.8 million, accounting for 1/3 of the total international visitors to Vietnam.

Ambassador Hung Ba assessed: “Since the beginning of the year, the number of Chinese tourists to Vietnam has exceeded 1 million. The potential for development in this field is still very large. Opportunities for travel and direct meetings between the people of the two countries have clearly increased after successfully controlling Covid-19.”

However, it is undeniable that the relationship between the two countries also faces some challenges, mainly from outside. Currently, the world is facing many fluctuations, most recently the conflict between Israel and Hamas.

“Amidst these fluctuations, the Vietnam-China relationship in general has more opportunities than challenges. All countries want peace to develop with peace of mind and cooperate together. The generally stable situation in Asia-Pacific will contribute to making the region the main engine for world economic growth."

Ambassador Hung Ba also said that "the modernization path of the two countries can absolutely become an option for developing countries. China is willing to go well and firmly with Vietnam on this path, strengthen mutual support and move forward."

The third BRF took place from October 17-18 in Beijing, China, with the theme “High-quality Belt and Road Cooperation: For Common Development and Prosperity”

Chinese President Xi Jinping will attend the forum's opening ceremony and deliver a keynote speech.

The BRF events include an opening ceremony, three high-level forums on connectivity, green growth and digital economy, and six thematic forums on trade connectivity, people-to-people exchanges, expert exchanges, the Silk Road of Integrity, local cooperation and maritime cooperation. A CEO conference will also be held at the forum.

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