'Promoting Vietnam-China cooperation in depth, achieving many practical results'

The Vietnamese Ambassador to China shared the purpose and significance of Chinese Prime Minister Li Qiang's visit to Vietnam as well as highlights in the recent China-Vietnam relationship.

On the afternoon of June 24, 2024, in Dalian city, Liaoning province, China, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh held talks with Chinese Premier Li Qiang. (Photo: Duong Giang/VNA)

At the invitation of Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, Premier of the State Council of the People's Republic of China Li Qiang will pay an official visit to Vietnam from October 12-14. On this occasion, Vietnamese Ambassador to China Pham Sao Mai gave an interview to a VNA reporter in Beijing about the purpose and significance of the visit as well as highlights in the China-Vietnam relationship in recent times. - Could you please tell us about the significance of Chinese Premier Li Qiang's upcoming visit to Vietnam, a continuation of a series of visits by senior leaders of the two countries in recent times? Ambassador Pham Sao Mai: At the invitation of Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, Premier of the State Council of the People's Republic of China Li Qiang will pay an official visit to Vietnam from October 12-14. This is the first visit to Vietnam in 11 years by the Premier of the State Council of China, and also the first visit to Vietnam by Comrade Li Qiang as Premier of the State Council, demonstrating the importance of the Chinese Party and State and Premier Li Qiang personally to the Vietnam-China relationship. The visit takes place at a very special time for Vietnam-China relations, right when the two sides are looking forward to the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations (January 18, 1950 - January 18, 2025), as well as right after important visits by senior leaders of the two Parties and countries such as the State visit to Vietnam by General Secretary and President of China Xi Jinping (December 2023), the State visit to China by General Secretary and President To Lam (August 2024) and the working trip to attend WEF Dalian and work in China by Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh (June 2024). The visit is a continuation of the tradition of high-level exchanges between the two Parties and countries, which is very important in further strengthening the Comprehensive Strategic Cooperative Partnership, promoting the building of a Vietnam-China Community of Shared Future with strategic significance in the direction of "6 more." During the visit, Prime Minister Li Cuong is expected to have important talks and meetings with General Secretary and President To Lam, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, and National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man. The two sides' senior leaders will discuss in depth measures to continue effectively implementing the common perceptions reached between the top leaders of the two Parties and two countries, further consolidating political trust, in which the two Prime Ministers will focus on discussing specific measures, actively promoting the expansion and improvement of the effectiveness and quality of cooperation areas, deepening substantive cooperation, achieving many practical results, bringing benefits to the people of the two countries. - Could the Ambassador share the highlights of the Vietnam-China relationship in recent times, especially since the two countries established the Comprehensive Strategic Cooperative Partnership, building the Vietnam-China Community of Shared Future of strategic significance? Ambassador Pham Sao Mai: In December 2023, during the State visit of General Secretary and President of China Xi Jinping to Vietnam, the senior leaders of the two Parties and two countries agreed to build a Vietnam-China Community of Shared Future of strategic significance, striving for the happiness of the people of the two countries, for the cause of peace and progress of humanity.

In recent times, based on the "6 more" orientation agreed upon by the senior leaders of the two Parties and two countries to promote bilateral relations, with the joint efforts of both sides, the relationship between the two Parties and two countries has maintained a very positive development momentum, spreading strongly to all levels and sectors, forming a vibrant, effective, practical cooperative atmosphere and achieving many important achievements in all fields, demonstrated in the following aspects: First, exchanges at high and all levels have been increasingly strengthened. The leaders of the Parties, States, Governments, 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 two countries. In particular, after the historic mutual visits of the late General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong (October 2022), General Secretary and President of China Xi Jinping (December 2023) and most recently the successful State visit to China in all aspects by General Secretary and President To Lam (August 2024), the relations between the two Parties and two countries have been continuously expanded and deepened, with cooperation in various fields achieving many positive, comprehensive and substantive developments, contributing positively to peace, stability and development in the region and the world. During the meetings, both sides affirmed that they consider the other country a priority in their foreign policies. China emphasized its persistent policy of friendship with Vietnam and always considers Vietnam a priority in its neighborly diplomacy. Vietnam affirms that it always considers relations with China a top priority in Vietnam's independent, self-reliant, multilateral and diversified foreign policy. Second, economic, trade and investment cooperation is increasingly in-depth, substantial and has many improvements. China remains Vietnam's largest trading partner and second largest export market, Vietnam is China's largest trading partner in ASEAN and China's fifth largest partner in the world (after the US, Japan, South Korea, Russia). In the first 9 months of 2024, bilateral import-export turnover reached 148.6 billion USD, of which Vietnam exported goods to China at 43.6 billion USD (up 1% over the same period); imports from China reached 105 billion USD (up 32.5%). From now until the end of 2024, with the strong improvement in trade in the first half of the year, it is forecasted that the import-export turnover between Vietnam and China will likely approach the 200 billion USD mark. Currently, the two sides are actively promoting "hard connections" between the two countries in terms of railways, highways, border gate infrastructure; upgrading "soft connections" in terms of smart customs and smart border gates to facilitate and further enhance trade exchanges between the two sides. Regarding investment, in the first 9 months of 2024, China was the leading partner in terms of the number of new FDI projects invested in Vietnam (accounting for 29.3%) and ranked second with an investment capital of 3.2 billion USD (accounting for 13% of total investment capital). The two sides also actively coordinated to gradually remove and resolve outstanding problems in a number of previous economic cooperation projects, creating a positive atmosphere for new cooperation projects between the two countries. Third, cooperation in other fields such as culture, education, tourism, and people-to-people exchange has achieved many practical and encouraging results; cooperation between localities has been vibrant. To date, nearly 60 provinces and cities of Vietnam have established friendly cooperative relations with Chinese localities. Political-social organizations and localities of the two sides have established and periodically organized many cooperation mechanisms and programs. Currently, there are more than 200 flights between the two countries every week; there are more than 23,000 Vietnamese students living and studying in China, double the number before the COVID-19 pandemic; the number of Chinese tourists to Vietnam has been increasing, reaching over 2.4 million in the first 9 months of 2024 alone. Fourth, the two sides have achieved many results in building a peaceful, friendly, cooperative and sustainably developed Vietnam-China land border, contributing to the socio-economic development of border localities, creating conditions for people in the border areas of the two countries to settle down and live in harmony. The two sides have made efforts to maintain exchanges and control disagreements at sea, in accordance with the provisions of international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS); actively implemented negotiation mechanisms on maritime issues, promoted the full and effective implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC), and strived to build a substantive, effective and efficient Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC), contributing to ensuring peace and stability in the East Sea and the region. In addition, the two sides also actively coordinate at multilateral forums to promote peace, stability and cooperation in the region and the world, promote the central role of ASEAN, comply with the United Nations Charter and international law. - In the current context, what are your expectations for the results of the visit for Vietnam-China relations in the coming time? Ambassador Pham Sao Mai: Through this visit, I hope that the two sides will achieve specific and substantive results. Firstly, the visit will propose measures to comprehensively implement the common perception reached between the top leaders of the two Parties and two countries, continue to enhance political trust and further deepen the framework of the Comprehensive Strategic Cooperative Partnership in a more sustainable, substantive and effective direction, contributing to the trend of peace, stability and cooperation in the region and the world. Second, the visit will contribute to identifying the key points and specific measures to enhance substantive cooperation in the fields of economics, trade, investment, infrastructure, culture, education, tourism, science and technology, etc. Third, the two sides can sign many cooperation documents in various fields to create new highlights for cooperation between the two sides, especially in the context of the two countries preparing for the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations (January 18, 1950 - January 18, 2025). Fourth, the visit will create a strong impetus for all levels, sectors and localities of Vietnam to continue to maintain and expand existing relations with China, thereby contributing to further consolidating a solid and good social foundation for the development of bilateral relations.

Vietnamese Ambassador to China Pham Sao Mai. (Photo: Thanh Duong/VNA)

I firmly believe that on the basis of the advantages, potentials, needs and existing foundations of bilateral relations, with the determination and joint efforts of the two Parties, two countries and peoples, the Vietnam-China Comprehensive Strategic Cooperative Partnership will develop strongly in the coming time, for the benefit of the people of the two countries, for peace, stability, cooperation and development in the region and the world. - 2025 will be the Vietnam-China Humanitarian Exchange Year to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations. What activities and events do the two countries plan to have in this special year? Ambassador Pham Sao Mai: 2025 is the occasion to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the establishment of Vietnam-China diplomatic relations (January 18, 1950 - January 18, 2025). It can be said that over the past 75 years, the friendship that generations of leaders of the two Parties, two countries and peoples have worked hard to cultivate has become a valuable common asset of the two nations, contributing to maintaining the trend of stable development of the traditional friendship between Vietnam and China, bringing practical benefits to the people of the two countries. During the recent State visit to China by General Secretary and President To Lam, in addition to the important achievement of the two sides issuing a Joint Statement on further strengthening the Comprehensive Strategic Cooperative Partnership and promoting the building of the Vietnam-China Community of Shared Future, the top leaders of the two Parties and two countries decided to make 2025 the "Vietnam-China Humanitarian Exchange Year." This is an opportunity for both sides to strengthen propaganda and education about the traditional friendship between Vietnam and China. Relevant agencies of the two sides are closely coordinating to organize meaningful commemorative activities, people-to-people exchanges, culture and art, so that the Vietnamese and Chinese people, especially the young generation, can better understand each other's culture, customs and people and together review the long-standing tradition of friendly neighborliness, thereby contributing to consolidating a more solid social foundation, constantly cultivating the Comprehensive Strategic Cooperative Partnership and the Vietnam-China Community of Shared Future of strategic significance. - Thank you very much, Ambassador.

Vietnamplus.vn

Source: https://www.vietnamplus.vn/thuc-day-hop-tac-viet-trung-di-vao-chieu-sau-dat-nhieu-thanh-qua-thiet-thuc-post982350.vnp