General Secretary To Lam: Opening a new era of development for Vietnam-China relations.

At the invitation of myself and the President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, Luong Cuong, Comrade Xi Jinping, General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and President of the People's Republic of China, will pay a State visit to Vietnam from April 14 to 15, 2025, in the year when the people of both countries joyfully celebrate the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and China (January 18, 1950 - January 18, 2025) and the Vietnam-China Cultural Exchange Year.

This is Comrade Xi Jinping's fourth visit to Vietnam since assuming the responsibilities of General Secretary and President of China, and also his second visit to Vietnam during the 13th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam and the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China. As the Supreme Leader of the Communist Party of China and the People's Republic of China, Comrade General Secretary and President Xi Jinping is a sincere comrade and a close friend of Vietnam. The Party, State, and people of Vietnam warmly welcome him and are confident that the visit will be a great success, making a significant contribution to strengthening the tradition of friendship and opening a new era of development in Vietnam-China relations.

I. Vietnam-China Relations: A History of Enduring Friendship and Achievements in Comprehensive Cooperation

Vietnam and China are close neighbors, sharing a common border and having people with many similarities in culture and customs, fostering a long-standing tradition of friendship spanning thousands of years of history.

Throughout the revolutionary journey, marked by countless difficulties from the very beginning, the generations of pioneering leaders of the two Parties and two countries, directly led by President Ho Chi Minh and Chairman Mao Zedong, tirelessly cultivated the "deep and affectionate relationship between Vietnam and China, both comrades and brothers." During his many years of revolutionary activity in China, President Ho Chi Minh always received the precious affection and enthusiastic support of the Chinese communists and people. Under President Ho Chi Minh's leadership, Vietnamese communists also actively participated in the revolutionary movement in China. The history of shoulder-to-shoulder solidarity and shared hardship between the pioneering revolutionaries of the two countries serves as a shining example in the revolutionary struggle of the world's proletariat, laying a solid foundation for the future friendship between Vietnam and China.

Based on the relationship of trust between the two Communist Parties, on January 18, 1950, shortly after its establishment, the People's Republic of China became the first country in the world to officially establish diplomatic relations with the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (now the Socialist Republic of Vietnam). Vietnam was also the first Southeast Asian country to officially establish diplomatic relations with China. This is a glorious historical milestone, opening a new era for the friendship between Vietnam and China. Under the guiding light of the two Communist Parties, the people of the two countries have given each other sincere and heartfelt assistance and support, contributing to the victory and success of the national liberation revolution and the construction and development of each country along the socialist path.

For the past 75 years, peace, friendship, and cooperative development have always been the main currents in the relationship between the two countries. This is because the two Parties and the two countries share an unchanging common understanding that the stable, sustainable, and long-term development of the Vietnam-China friendship and cooperation is a fundamental and long-term interest, a heartfelt aspiration of the two peoples for generations, and has crucial significance for the revolutionary cause in each country, in line with the great trend of the times: peace, stability, cooperation, and prosperous development.

General Secretary To Lam and General Secretary and President of China Xi Jinping. Photo: VNA

In the overall context of its independent, self-reliant, peaceful, friendly, cooperative, and developmental foreign policy, and its multilateralization and diversification of foreign relations, the Vietnamese Party and State consistently prioritize and are determined to work with the Chinese Party and State to develop a comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership and a Vietnam-China community with a shared future, which is of strategic significance for the happiness of the people of both countries and for the cause of peace and progress of all humanity. The Vietnamese people will never forget the great and effective assistance of the Chinese people throughout history. Vietnam always considers China's prosperous development as an opportunity for itself, and at the same time, is pleased and highly appreciates China's affirmation of prioritizing the development of relations with Vietnam in its neighborly diplomacy, considering this a strategic choice for both countries.

Based on these important shared understandings, Vietnam-China relations have been continuously promoted and developed to new heights in recent years, achieving many significant and comprehensive achievements and milestones in various fields. High-level leaders of the two Parties and two countries maintain regular strategic exchanges in various flexible forms, promptly formulating important decisions to guide and shape the continuous development of Vietnam-China relations, making them increasingly substantive and effective. Most recently, the two countries agreed to elevate their relationship to a Community of Shared Futures, a strategically significant event during the historic visit of General Secretary and President Xi Jinping to Vietnam (December 2023).

Alongside this, diverse exchange and cooperation mechanisms across various channels and in all fields, from central to local levels, as well as cooperation within international multilateral forums and institutions, have also seen significant and increasingly substantive development, contributing to enriching and deepening the content of the framework of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

Economic and trade relations have continuously developed strongly, bringing many practical benefits to the people of both countries. In the last three decades, bilateral trade turnover has grown dramatically by more than 6,400 times, setting a new record high, exceeding US$200 billion in 2024. Vietnam remains China's largest trading partner in ASEAN, and has risen to become China's fourth largest trading partner globally; China is Vietnam's largest trading partner. To date, China has become the third largest foreign investor in Vietnam, leading in the number of new investment projects.

People-to-people exchanges, cultural exchanges, educational exchanges, and tourism exchanges between the two countries have achieved many encouraging results, becoming increasingly vibrant and a new bright spot contributing to consolidating a more solid social foundation for Vietnam-China relations. It can be said that the friendly feelings between the people of the two countries are growing ever closer, as General Secretary and President Xi Jinping once succinctly summarized: "small streams stretch and flow endlessly, converging into a vast river of friendly exchanges between the two countries."

Both sides have satisfactorily resolved many issues left over from history; agreeing to persistently handle disagreements appropriately and actively through peaceful means based on mutual understanding and respect, in accordance with international law.

For the relationship between the two Parties and two countries to develop so well and comprehensively as it has today, the most important lesson learned is the sincerity, trust, and mutual understanding between the two socialist neighboring countries under the leadership of the Communist Party, deeply rooted in the tradition of compassion and loyalty between the two nations; the intellectual vision, determination, and actions of generations of leaders of the two Parties and two countries; and the joint efforts and involvement of the political systems and people of both countries. The Party, State, and People of Vietnam cherish and highly appreciate the sentiments, dedication, and exceptionally important contributions of General Secretary and President Xi Jinping to Vietnam-China relations over the years.

II- Vision for a New Era of Development: For the Happiness of the People of Both Countries, for the Cause of Peace and Progress of Humanity

The world is facing enormous, fundamental changes of epochal significance, profoundly transforming in all aspects under the impact of major shifts in politics, economics, culture, society, and science and technology. From now until 2030, and looking further ahead to 2045 and 2050, the middle of the 21st century – crucial periods associated with major milestones in the revolutionary cause of the two Parties and two countries – is the most important period for shaping a new world order, opening up great opportunities along with numerous challenges for countries.

For Vietnam, this is a crucial period of strategic opportunity, a critical phase in building a new era of national development and fulfilling President Ho Chi Minh's aspiration to "build a peaceful, unified, independent, democratic, and prosperous Vietnam, and make a worthy contribution to the world revolutionary cause." For China, this is a pivotal period and a stepping stone in achieving its second centenary goal: building the People's Republic of China into a modern, prosperous, democratic, civilized, harmonious, and beautiful socialist power.

This context demands that both countries have an international vision and national actions to maximize strategic opportunities, transform challenges into opportunities, and build a prosperous future for both nations. We have sufficient grounds and confidence to achieve our respective long-term development goals, and now is an opportune time for the two Parties and two countries to jointly define a vision for a new era of development in Vietnam-China relations, for the happiness of the people of both countries, and for the cause of peace and progress of humanity. Specifically, as follows:

Firstly, maintaining strategic exchanges and enhancing political trust is the most important issue, serving as a prerequisite for the successful implementation of programs, plans, and cooperation agreements between the two sides, ensuring the political foundation for the healthy and proper development of relations between the two Parties and the two countries of Vietnam and China. Both sides will continue to effectively implement high-level exchange and contact mechanisms, closely and seamlessly combining Party diplomacy, state diplomacy, and people-to-people diplomacy; improving the effectiveness and leveling cooperation in the fields of diplomacy, defense, security, and between the two sides.
all levels, sectors, and localities of both countries.

Secondly, we must strengthen substantive cooperation in various fields, creating new growth poles. Vietnam is always ready to work together with China to make cooperation between the two countries more substantive, profound, balanced, and sustainable, becoming a model of sincere and effective cooperation between two neighboring socialist and developing countries, better serving the interests of the people of both countries. Both sides will jointly think creatively about new forms of cooperation, in line with the key orientations of each country's socio-economic development strategy; focusing on implementing major projects and new symbols of cooperation in Vietnam-China relations, with the implementation of three standard-gauge railway lines connecting the two countries being the highest priority in strategic infrastructure connectivity cooperation between the two sides. Expanding cooperation in areas where China has strengths and Vietnam has needs, such as science and technology, innovation, digital transformation, and high-quality human resource training, will become new highlights in bilateral cooperation, in line with the general international development trend.

Thirdly, we need to further strengthen the favorable social foundation for Vietnam-China relations . During our telephone conversation earlier this year, General Secretary and President Xi Jinping and I jointly announced the launch of the Vietnam-China People's Cultural Exchange Year 2025. This is the most opportune time to promote people-to-people exchanges and enhance the dissemination of information about the friendly relations between the two Parties, the two countries, and the two peoples; to promote substantive cooperation in culture, tourism, education, and training; and to effectively utilize the "red" historical sites bearing the imprint of the revolutions of both countries in Vietnam and China to enhance the pride and confidence of all strata of people in both countries regarding the path to socialism chosen by the two Parties and the two peoples, and the tradition of Vietnam-China friendship. In this context, the role of the leading press and media agencies of both countries is crucial in strengthening the feelings and understanding between the two nations, helping to forge closer ties between them, and contributing to promoting cooperation, friendship, and mutual benefit.

Fourth, let's work together to build a peaceful and stable environment for the new era and new development age of each country. The continuous efforts of our two countries to promote the healthy and positive development of Vietnam-China relations, and our joint efforts to control and resolve disagreements appropriately based on high-level common understanding, in accordance with international law and the United Nations Charter, are important stabilizing factors in the current complex and unpredictable international and regional landscape. This aligns with the traditions and heartfelt aspirations of both nations for peace, friendship, and cooperation for the sustainable development and prosperity of each country.

During his State visit to Vietnam in December 2023, General Secretary and President Xi Jinping profoundly summarized: "Both China and Vietnam are responsible members of the international community. The two countries should become core forces promoting the progress of humanity." Based on the 75-year history of friendly relations, with many cultural similarities and shared interests in peace and development between the two peoples, the two Parties, the two countries, and the two nations are confident and determined to promote the glorious and great cause of further deepening the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership, promoting the building of a strategically significant Vietnam-China Community of Shared Future, achieving rapid and sustainable national development; successfully building socialism in each country, and firmly entering a new era of development.

The success of the friendship between our two Parties and two countries not only brings happiness and best serves the interests of the people of both countries, but also makes increasingly practical and responsible contributions to peace, stability, social progress, and prosperous development of nations in the region and around the world.

Vietnamnet.vn

Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/tong-bi-thu-to-lam-mo-ra-ky-nguyen-phat-trien-moi-cua-quan-he-viet-trung-2390873.html