Vietnam, China expand connectivity to generate growth drivers

The 33rd Diplomatic Conference takes place at a time when Vietnam enters a new development phase aimed at maintaining high economic growth and laying the groundwork to fulfill its development targets for 2030 and 2045. This places a requirement on the diplomatic sector to continue asserting its pioneering role in mobilizing external resources, expanding markets, attracting investment and technology, and accompanying localities and businesses to serve national development.

Practical efforts in China, Vietnam's largest trading partner, show that economic diplomacy is being turned into increasingly substantive cooperation outcomes.

Vietnamese diplomatic missions not only promote trade, investment, and infrastructure connectivity, but also act as a bridge connecting ministries, sectors, localities, and enterprises with Chinese partners, thereby contributing to materializing high-level agreements.

According to Vietnamese Ambassador to China Pham Thanh Binh, during the five-month period of 2026, two-way trade turnover reached US$122.6 billion, up 32.2% year-on-year. China continued to lead in the number of new investment projects in Vietnam with 462 projects during the past four months, totaling US$1.09 billion. China was also Vietnam's largest source of international tourists, with 1.85 million arrivals during the reviewed period.

Economic diplomacy accompanies growth targets

Ambassador Pham Thanh Binh states that the Embassy of Vietnam in China has actively coordinated with domestic agencies to position economic and trade cooperation as a central focus in bilateral diplomatic activities, particularly high-level visits and contacts.

Notably, the Embassy coordinated preparations for the State visit to China by General Secretary and President To Lam, contributing to the signing of 32 cooperation documents across various fields. Among these, agreements on customs and phytosanitary inspections have created more favorable conditions for Vietnam's exports of pomelo, lime, and several other agricultural products to China.

Additionally, the Embassy supported over 30 working delegations from Vietnamese ministries, sectors, and localities, as well as Chinese delegations, thus promoting trade, investment, and business matching.

Another key highlight is the advancement of strategic connectivity projects, particularly three railway routes connecting the two countries. To date, the Chinese side has handed over the draft Initial Report for the feasibility study of the Lao Cai - Hanoi - Hai Phong railway route; concurrently, both sides signed a Technical Assistance Agreement for planning the Dong Dang - Hanoi and Mong Cai - Ha Long - Hai Phong routes.

Furthermore, the Embassy maintains relations with local authorities, business associations, and major Chinese corporations such as Sunwah, ZTE, TCL, and Zhongguancun; it also organizes trade and investment promotion events such as "Phở Day" and the Vietnam - China Green Industry Cooperation and Exchange Program, thereby strengthening ties between the two business communities.

Sharing future orientations, the Vietnamese diplomat emphasizes: "In the coming period, to help achieve double-digit growth after the 14th National Party Congress and realize the two centennial goals in 2030 and 2045, economic diplomacy must shift from 'quantity' to 'quality,' enhancing implementation efficiency, especially in operationalizing bilateral agreements."

According to the Ambassador, economic diplomacy needs to focus more strongly on new growth engines such as science and technology, digital economy, semiconductors, and innovation; while continuing to promote its bridging role between ministries, sectors, localities, and businesses with foreign partners to effectively capitalize on resources for national development.

Market expansion elevates value of Vietnamese agricultural products

Alongside promoting trade, investment, and infrastructure connectivity, supporting agricultural exports remains a central pillar of economic diplomacy for the Embassy of Vietnam in China. While China is a vast consumer market for Vietnamese agricultural produce, it is also raising its standards regarding quality, traceability, and food safety.

According to Binh, Vietnam's exports of agricultural and aquatic products to China continued to register positive growth in the early months of 2026. By April, export turnover hit US$3.6 billion, a 22.4% increase year-on-year, accounting for 25.7% of Vietnam's total agricultural and aquatic exports worldwide. Fruit and vegetable exports alone stood at US$415.8 million, up 31.4%.

To assist businesses in better capitalizing on this market, the Embassy will continue to coordinate with the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment to effectively implement agreements on agricultural exports, advocate for market opening for new commodities, and address emerging difficulties during the export process.

Concurrently, the Embassy will provide timely updates on Chinese regulations, quality standards, and quarantine requirements; assist in connecting Vietnamese enterprises with distribution networks, import firms, logistics hubs, and e-commerce platforms in China; and expand exports to regions with high potential, such as Northern and Northwestern China.

Starting June 2026, the Embassy has been reinforced with an additional Agricultural Counselor to boost agricultural cooperation, align policies, and support agricultural export enterprises.

Assessing the potential of the Chinese market, Ambassador Pham Thanh Binh affirms, "The growth room for Vietnamese agricultural products in the Chinese market remains immense." According to the Ambassador, to effectively leverage this potential, businesses and localities must improve product quality, strictly control production, processing, packaging, and traceability chains, and satisfy technical and food safety standards. Furthermore, it is necessary to step up deep processing, improve packaging, develop cold storage systems and logistics, and effectively utilize cooperation frameworks such as the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) and the ASEAN-China Free Trade Area 3.0 (ACFTA 3.0) to enhance the competitiveness of Vietnamese agricultural products.

Promoting local connectivity, expanding tourism cooperation

Ambassador Pham Thanh Binh stresses that realizing  the high-level common perception on launching the Vietnam - China Tourism Year 2026-2027, the Embassy will continue to boost tourism cooperation, people-to-people exchanges, and local connectivity.

Moving forward, the Embassy will coordinate with ministries, sectors, and localities to effectively implement the Vietnam - China Cultural and Tourism Cooperation Plan for the 2023-2027 period; maintain ties with relevant Chinese authorities; and support the organization of cultural, artistic, and promotional events during diplomatic activities.

The Embassy will also support expanding connections between localities with potential for tourism and trade cooperation; promote the establishment and deepening of local cooperation mechanisms; and boost youth exchanges and delegation exchange programs. In addition, research will be conducted on leveraging popular digital platforms and social media networks in China to promote Vietnamese tourism.

The Embassy of Vietnam in China will continue to actively promote people-to-people exchanges, tourism cooperation, and bilateral local connectivity, Binh adds.

According to the Ambassador, strengthening ties between localities, businesses, and people will create further opportunities for trade, investment, and tourism cooperation, thereby deepening the Vietnam - China Comprehensive Strategic Cooperative Partnership.

The achievements in the first half of 2026 demonstrate that when closely synchronized with national development imperatives and the needs of localities and enterprises, economic diplomacy not only helps expand markets and attract investment, but also creates favorable conditions to execute cooperation agreements, advance infrastructure connectivity, support exports, and boost local cooperation.

These vital directions help the diplomatic sector continue fulfilling its role in serving national development in the new period.

Shrimp exports gain momentum as China demand soars

VOV.VN - Vietnam's shrimp exports rose more than 14% in the first six months of 2026 to US$2.35 billion, driven by robust demand from China, according to the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP).

Second Asia Durian Conference to promote Vietnam–China supply chain

VOV.VN - The Second Asia Durian Conference is set to take place in Ho Chi Minh City on July 14 to discuss ways to strengthen supply chains, improve product quality and expand Vietnam’s official durian exports to China.