On the afternoon of October 31, 2022, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong held talks with General Secretary and President of China Xi Jinping. (Photo: Tri Dung/VNA)
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 led a high-ranking delegation of Vietnam to pay an official visit to the People's Republic of China from April 7 to 12.
This is Mr. Vuong Dinh Hue's first visit to China as Chairman of the National Assembly, and also the first direct meeting between the heads of the two countries' legislative bodies after the 13th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam and the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China.
The visit takes place in the context that in 2023, the two countries will celebrate the 73rd anniversary of establishing diplomatic relations (January 18, 1950 - January 18, 2023) and the 15th anniversary of establishing the Comprehensive Strategic Cooperative Partnership (2008-2023).
National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue.
This visit of National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue to China is expected to create a spillover effect, creating strong momentum and impetus for the development of Vietnam-China bilateral relations.
Traditional friendship is constantly nurtured.
Vietnam and China are two close neighbors with many cultural and social similarities. The two countries established diplomatic relations on January 18, 1950. Over the past 74 years, through ups and downs over time, Vietnam-China relations have developed steadily with the main stream being friendship and cooperation.
The friendship nurtured by generations of leaders of the two countries has become a common asset of the two peoples, contributing to maintaining a stable and healthy cooperation trend, bringing practical benefits to both countries.
In particular, since normalization in 1991, Vietnam-China relations have developed extensively in all areas, from politics, economics to culture, security and defense. High-level exchanges and contacts are maintained regularly in many flexible forms.
Through visits and contacts, senior leaders of the two Parties and countries have reached many important common perceptions, contributing to consolidating and enhancing political trust, promoting comprehensive cooperation in all fields, which is the fundamental, long-term strategic orientation for the healthy and stable development of Vietnam-China relations.
The two sides have determined to develop bilateral relations under the motto "Friendly neighbors, comprehensive cooperation, long-term stability, and looking towards the future" (1999) and the spirit of "Good neighbors, good friends, good comrades, good partners" (2005).
In 2008, the two sides agreed to establish the Vietnam-China Comprehensive Strategic Cooperative Partnership framework, the highest cooperation framework with the broadest and most profound connotation in Vietnam's relations with countries around the world. China is also the first country to build this cooperation framework with Vietnam.
Fifteen years after the two countries established the Comprehensive Strategic Cooperative Partnership, the relationship between the two Parties and countries has maintained a trend of continuous development in a healthy and stable direction. The political trust between the senior leaders of the two Parties and countries of China and Vietnam has continuously deepened and been consolidated.
Assessing the recent bilateral relations, Vietnamese Ambassador to China Pham Sao Mai said that Vietnam and China are two neighboring countries with many similarities in culture, political institutions and development paths. Under the joint efforts of both sides, the relations between the two Parties and the two countries have maintained a very positive development momentum and achieved many important achievements in all fields.
Leaders of the Party, State, Government, National Assembly (NPC) and Fatherland Front (CPPCC) of the two countries, through flexible forms, regularly meet, contact and exchange closely, contributing to enhancing political trust and firmly consolidating the political foundation of the relationship between the two Parties and the two countries.
Recent visits, exchanges and contacts include: General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong's official visit to China (October 30 and November 1, 2022); Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh's official visit to China and attendance at the 14th WEF Conference held in Tianjin (China) (June 2023), attending the China-ASEAN Expo (CAEXPO) and the 20th China-ASEAN Business and Investment Summit (CABIS) in Nanning City, Guangxi Province (China) (September 2023); Ms. Truong Thi Mai, Politburo member, Standing member of the Secretariat, Head of the Central Organizing Committee visited and worked in China (April 2023); Head of the Central External Relations Department of the Communist Party of China Liu Jianchao visited Vietnam (September 2023); President Vo Van Thuong attends the 3rd Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in Beijing (China) (October 2023); Politburo member, Director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, Minister of Foreign Affairs of China Wang Yi (December 2023); General Secretary and President of China Xi Jinping and his wife pay a State visit to Vietnam (December 2023); Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son pays an official visit to China (April 2024)...
On the afternoon of December 12, 2023, at the Party Central Committee Headquarters, General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam Nguyen Phu Trong held talks with General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and President of the People's Republic of China Xi Jinping on a State visit to Vietnam. (Photo: VNA)
Most notably, the two historic mutual visits by General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong (October 2022) and General Secretary and President of China Xi Jinping (December 2023) have contributed to adding strong momentum for the two Parties and two countries to continuously consolidate and enhance the friendly neighborly relationship and comprehensive cooperation between Vietnam and China.
During the official visit to China by General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong (October 2022), the two sides issued the "Vietnam-China Joint Statement on continuing to promote and further deepen the Vietnam-China comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership".
Then, during the State visit of General Secretary and President of China Xi Jinping to Vietnam (December 2023), the two sides 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".
National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue met with General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and President of the People's Republic of China Xi Jinping during his State visit to Vietnam in December 2023.
The most notable point in the above contacts was that both sides affirmed that they considered the other country a priority in their foreign policies. Vietnam considers developing relations with China a top priority and a strategic choice, always wishing to work with China to promote the stable, healthy and sustainable development of bilateral relations, for the happiness of the people of both countries, for the cause of peace and progress of humanity.
The Chinese side emphasized its consistent policy of friendship with Vietnam, considering Vietnam a priority in neighborly diplomacy. China also affirmed its support for Vietnam to develop prosperously, make its people happy, build a strong, independent, and self-reliant economy, promote the cause of innovation, industrialization, modernization, and comprehensive international integration, develop open and friendly foreign relations, and play an increasingly important role for peace, stability, development, and prosperity in the region and the world.
At multilateral forums, Vietnam and China actively coordinate to promote peace, stability and cooperation in the region and the world, especially at ASEAN and United Nations forums.
Economic and trade cooperation is a bright spot
Economic, trade and investment cooperation has been continuously deepened and substantive, becoming a bright spot in the bilateral relationship in recent times. China has continuously maintained its position as Vietnam's largest trading partner and Vietnam's second largest export market; Vietnam is China's largest trading partner in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and China's fifth largest trading partner in the world (after the US, Japan, South Korea and Russia).
In 2020, the total trade turnover between the two countries reached 133.09 billion USD; in 2021 it reached 165.9 billion USD; in 2022 it reached 175 billion USD; in 2023 it reached 171.9 billion USD according to Vietnam Customs data; in the first 2 months of 2024 it reached 27.3 billion USD.
On March 27, 2023, Ha Giang province hosted the 3rd annual conference between the Provincial Party Secretaries of Ha Giang, Lao Cai, Lai Chau, Dien Bien (Vietnam) and the Yunnan Provincial Party Secretary (China).
Vietnam and China have had many bilateral cooperation agreements, as well as multilateral agreements such as: ASEAN-China Free Trade Agreement (ACFTA), Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (RCEP); in the coming period, China is promoting participation in the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP)...
Besides, due to geographical proximity, the consumption habits of Chinese people have some similarities with Vietnamese people, and the traditional trade relationship has existed for a long time, which creates a huge advantage in exporting Vietnamese goods to this market.
Among them, Vietnam's agricultural exports to China have been constantly expanding. China has become one of the most important markets for Vietnam's agricultural, forestry and fishery products.
Vietnam’s agricultural products, from fruits to processed foods, are gaining a foothold in the Chinese market. Currently, Vietnam has 14 official agricultural products exported to China, including: bird’s nest, sweet potato, dragon fruit, longan, rambutan, mango, jackfruit, watermelon, banana, mangosteen, black jelly, lychee, passion fruit and durian.
According to trade experts, since implementing its commitment in the ASEAN-China Free Trade Agreement (ACFTA), China has reduced tariffs on more than 8,000 imported goods from Vietnam, including agricultural products and fresh fruits. This has opened up many opportunities for Vietnamese businesses to access a large market.
Regarding investment, as of March 2024, China's total registered foreign direct investment (FDI) capital in Vietnam was 27.64 billion USD with 4,418 valid projects, ranking 6th out of 145 countries and territories investing in Vietnam.
In 2023 alone, China invested 4.47 billion USD in Vietnam, an increase of 77.5%, ranking 4th among all countries and territories, but leading in the number of new projects (accounting for 22.17%); in the first quarter of 2024, China led in the number of projects with new FDI capital invested in Vietnam (accounting for 27.8%). The two sides also actively coordinated to gradually remove and resolve outstanding problems in a number of previous economic cooperation projects.
Exchange program of singing on Bac Luan border river between youth of Mong Cai city (Vietnam) and youth of Dong Hung city (China) within the framework of the 15th Vietnam-China International Fair.
Cooperation in culture, education, tourism, people-to-people exchange, especially exchanges between the young generations of Vietnam and China, has become increasingly substantive, helping to enhance mutual understanding and friendship between the two Parties, the two countries and the two peoples. To date, nearly 60 provinces and cities of Vietnam have established friendly cooperative relations with Chinese localities.
Regarding tourism, before the Covid-19 outbreak, China had been the leading tourist destination in Vietnam for many years, with an average of 1 out of every 3 international visitors to Vietnam being Chinese. Currently, China has basically restored commercial flights to Vietnam; there are more than 200 flights between the two countries each week. China has also resumed issuing visas for Vietnamese students and workers returning to China.
In 2023, there will be more than 1.7 million Chinese visitors to Vietnam; in the first 3 months of 2024, it reached nearly 890,000 visitors, an increase of 634.5% over the same period last year.
The two sides also organized many other exchange activities such as the Vietnam-China Border People's Festival, the Vietnam-China People's Forum, the Friendship Exchange between the Vietnam Fatherland Front and the Chinese National People's Political Consultative Conference, and cooperation between localities, especially provinces and border areas, was enhanced in many diverse forms... These activities have contributed to consolidating a solid foundation of friendship for the Vietnam-China relationship to continue to develop healthily and stably.
Strengthening cooperation between the legislatures of the two countries
The official visit to China from April 7 to 12, 2024 by National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue is his first visit as Chairman of the National Assembly, and also the first direct meeting between the heads of the two countries' legislative bodies after the 13th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam and the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China.
Ambassador Pham Sao Mai emphasized that this visit by National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue is of great significance in maintaining high-level exchanges and contacts, orienting the strategic direction for bilateral relations, concretizing the common perception between the top leaders of the two Parties and two countries; affirming that Vietnam considers developing relations with China a top priority and a strategic choice in its foreign policy.
Chinese cruise ship Zhao Shang Yi Dun brought more than 700 tourists to Tien Sa port to visit Da Nang city (December 2023).
The visit also aims to concretize six major cooperation directions between the two countries, especially promoting "higher political trust" and consolidating "a more solid social foundation", contributing to elevating the Vietnam-China comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership, for the benefit of the people of the two countries, for peace, stability, cooperation and development in the region and the world.
In addition, in the context of the relationship between the Vietnamese National Assembly and the National People's Congress of China being constantly consolidated and developed, the visit contributes to deepening and enhancing the effectiveness of cooperation between the legislative bodies of the two countries; affirming the very important role of the Vietnamese National Assembly's foreign affairs in the cause of national development.
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