Chinese Premier Li Qiang pays official visit to Vietnam today

This marks the first visit to Vietnam after 11 years by a Chinese Premier and also the first visit by Li Qiang in his capacity as Premier, reflecting the positive exchanges and contacts between the two countries' senior leaders.

In recent times, senior leaders of the two countries have made important visits, such as the State visit to Vietnam by General Secretary and President of China Xi Jinping in December, 2023; the State visit to China by General Secretary and President To Lam in August; and the working trip to attend WEF Dalian and the working session with China by PM Chinh in June.

Premier Li Qiang's visit takes place amid both sides looking forward to celebrating the 75th anniversary of their diplomatic relations (January 18, 1950 - January 18, 2025), with the overall bilateral relationship maintaining good momentum and achieving many important results.

China has consistently been the Vietnamese side’s largest trading partner and its second largest export market. Vietnam represents China's largest trading partner in ASEAN and China's fifth largest trading partner in the world. During the nine-month period, bilateral import-export turnover reached US$148.6 billion.

In terms of connectivity, the two sides are working together in a bid to build a railway in Vietnam in the coming time. Concerning Party building co-operation, they are promoting linkages in this field in many different departments. Co-operation in other fields such as culture, education, tourism, and people-to-people exchanges has achieved numerous practical and encouraging results, while locality-to-locality ties are taking place vigorously.

At multilateral forums, both sides actively co-ordinate at multilateral forums to augment peace, stability, further collaboration in the region and the world, enhance the centrality of ASEAN and comply with the UN Charter and international law.

Furthermore, the two sides have achieved many results in building a peaceful, friendly, co-operative, and sustainably developed land border; making efforts to maintain exchanges and control disagreements at sea, in accordance with the provisions of international law, including the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. This is along with actively implementing negotiation mechanisms on maritime issues; promoting full and effective implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea/South China Sea (DOC); and striving to build a substantive, effective, and efficient Code of Conduct in the East Sea/South China Sea (COC), thus contributing to ensuring peace and stability in the East Sea and the region.

Premier Li’s visit is viewed as an opportunity for the two sides to focus on discussing specific measures whilst actively promoting, expanding, and improving the effectiveness and quality of co-operation areas. This is addition to deepening substantive ties between both countries, achieving many practical results, and bringing benefits to the people of the two nations.

As planned, Premier Li is scheduled to meet with Party General Secretary and State President To Lam, hold talks with PM Chinh, and meet with National Assembly (NA) Chairman Tran Thanh Man.