China regards Vietnam as a top priority within its foreign policy and will continue to support the country on its path to prosperity.
| Vietnamese President Vo Van Thuong and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping. Source: VNA |
General Secretary of the Communist Party of China and President of China Xi Jinping stressed the view when meeting with his Vietnamese counterpart Vo Van Thuong on October 20, during the latter’s visit to China to attend the 3rd Belt and Road Forum (BRF) in Beijing.
At the meeting, President Vo Van Thuong proposed a deepening of the partnership between Vietnam and China to raise the profile of the Vietnam-China comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership.
He emphasized the importance of enhancing high-level interactions at all levels. The president stressed the need to foster cooperation for the balanced and sustainable development of economic and trade relations by expanding the import of Vietnamese agricultural products, improving transportation links, expediting the disbursement of Chinese aid to Vietnam, and coordinating to solve issues in various cooperative projects.
Furthermore, Thuong urged both parties to make joint efforts to effectively control and resolve discrepancies at sea, respect each other's legitimate interests, and abide by international law and the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) 1982.
He called for cooperation with other nations for a peaceful, friendly, cooperative, and developing East Sea.
Thuong reaffirmed Vietnam's commitment to strengthening and advancing the Vietnam-China relationship, considering it a strategic choice and a top priority in its foreign policy.
President Xi Jinping, in response, reiterated China's commitment to prioritizing Vietnam in its foreign policy and supporting Vietnam's robust development, and its successful industrialization and modernization.
He expressed appreciation for General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong's visit to the Huu Nghi border gate and the planting of friendship trees, which underscored the significance of China-Vietnam relations to the Party and the State of Vietnam.
The Chinese president concurred on intensifying high-level exchanges at all levels, aiming to bolster mutual understanding and strengthen political trust between the two nations. He pledged China's willingness to expand imports of Vietnamese goods, including agricultural, industrial, and manufacturing products.
| Overview of the meeting. |
Xi also proposed enhancing the integration of the "Belt and Road" initiative with the "Two Corridors, One Belt" framework to form a concrete cooperation plan. This plan would align with the two side's respective reform and development priorities, focusing on strategic areas of cooperation such as infrastructure and transportation links.
Furthermore, the two leaders stressed the significance of intensifying people-to-people exchanges and effective dissemination to strengthen the social foundation. They underlined the need for settlement and management of disagreements to contribute to peace and stability in the maritime and regional context.
The leaders also exchanged views on various international and regional issues and agreed to make joint efforts to promote peace, cooperation, and development in both the region and the world.
President Vo Van Thuong concluded his official visit to China on October 20, his first official trip to China after Vietnam's 13th Party Congress and China's 20th Party Congress. This year also marks the 15th anniversary of the Vietnam-China Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
China is Vietnam's largest trading partner, and Vietnam is China's most significant trading partner in the ASEAN region. Vietnam holds the position of being China's fourth-largest trading partner by country, trailing the US, Japan, and South Korea.
In 2022, the total import and export turnover between Vietnam and China reached US$175.56 billion, indicating a 5.47% increase. During the initial nine months of 2023, the two-way trade amounted to $122 billion.
