The invitation has been extended by General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam To Lam, the ministry said in a press communique on April 11.

Vietnam and China established diplomatic relations on January 18, 1950, and China was the first countries in the world to cultivate such diplomatic ties with Vietnam.

Over the past years, bilateral relations have developed rapidly, comprehensively, and extensively across many fields, including politics and diplomacy, economics, culture, science, national defence and security, as well as local cooperation, especially in the border provinces of the two countries.

The relationship has been strengthened through multiple channels - Party-to-Party diplomacy, state diplomacy, and people-to-people diplomacy. These efforts have contributed to consolidating and promoting the traditional friendship and enhancing political trust between the two Parties and two countries.

Both sides have jointly established key guiding principles for the relationship, including the “16-word motto” - “friendly neighbourliness, comprehensive cooperation, long-term stability, and forward-looking” in 1999, and the “four good spirit” - “good neighbours, good friends, good comrades, and good partners” in 2005.

They officially established the framework of a Comprehensive Strategic Cooperative Partnership in 2008, and elevated the relationship to a Vietnam–China Community with a Shared Future in 2023, marking a new strategic milestone.

Immediately following the 20th National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party, Vietnamese Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong paid a historic and highly successful visit to China in October 2022. During the visit, the two sides issued a joint statement on further promoting and deepening the Comprehensive Strategic Cooperative Partnership between Vietnam and China.

One year later, on December 12 - 13, General Secretary and President of China Xi Jinping paid a state visit to Vietnam, during which the two countries issued a joint statement on deepening and elevating the Comprehensive Strategic Cooperative Partnership and Building a Vietnam–China Community with a Shared Future of Strategic Significance. The two sides also signed 36 cooperation documents across multiple sectors, marking a major breakthrough in bilateral relations.

During the visit, both parties also agreed on a development direction based on “six major goals” comprising stronger political trust, more substantial cooperation in defence – security, deeper and more practical cooperation, more solid social foundation, closer multilateral coordination, and better management and settlement of differences.

In August 2024, Party General Secretary and President To Lam paid a state visit to China shortly after assuming his roles as the top leader of the Party and State of Vietnam. During this visit, the two countries issued a joint statement on further strengthening the Comprehensive Strategic Cooperative Partnership and Promoting the Building of a Vietnam–China Community with a Shared Future, creating a solid foundation and long-term strategic orientation for bilateral relations as they enter a new stage of development.

Economic-trade-investment cooperation is a key pillar in bilateral relations. Two-way trade turnover between the two countries reached a record high of US$205.2 billion last year. In terms of investment, China ranked as the sixth largest foreign investor in Vietnam last year, with 4,922 active projects and a total registered capital of US$29.55 billion.

Cooperation in culture, education, health care, tourism, and sports has been strengthened over the years. In 2024 Vietnam welcomed more than 3 million Chinese tourists, surpassing the total number of Chinese visitors for the entire year of 2023 (1.75 million). The number of Vietnamese students studying in China in 2024 reached a record high of nearly 23,000, doubling compared to 2019.

Xi’s coming state visit to Vietnam is expected to open up new opportunities for cooperation in various areas between Vietnam and China.

China reaffirms Vietnam as a priority in its neighborhood diplomacy

VOV.VN - China reaffirms Vietnam as a key partner in its neighborhood diplomacy, pledging deeper cooperation between legislative bodies and highlighting Vietnam’s growing regional role.