Vietnam gives top priority to developing relations with China, says diplomat

According to Vu, the potential for cooperation between the two countries remains substantial, and the 75th anniversary will serve as a foundation to further boost bilateral relations in the coming years.

He recalled the visit to China by General Secretary To Lam in August 2024 which he said achieved significant results, as the top leaders of the two countries agreed to further promote friendly relations and cooperation between Vietnam and China based on the '6 more' directions. The directions are higher political trust, closer security-defense cooperation, deeper practical cooperation, stronger social foundation, closer multilateral coordination, and better management and resolution of differences.

These key directions have been implemented seriously at all levels, industries, and localities of the two countries, yielding very concrete and clear results, said Vu.

Strategic exchanges and high-level contact have been enhanced with a variety of forms and unprecedented frequency. The exchange and cooperation mechanisms between the two sides have become increasingly comprehensive and diverse, reflecting high trust.

Trade, investment, and tourism cooperation have grown positively, with two-way trade hitting US$185.6 billion in the first 11 months of the year, an increase of 18.9% year on year. The export value of durian, a key agricultural export item, also exceeded US$3.5 billion, up 50% compared to last year. More than 3.3 million Chinese tourists visited Vietnam last year, up 222%.

Building on the gains, he said, in 2025 both sides will continue to comprehensively implement the high-level common perceptions, and enhance effective exchanges and cooperation in various fields.

Politically, he said, the two countries will continue to promote high-level exchanges and make effective use of cooperation mechanisms between the two parties, governments, parliaments, and mass organizations, especially those in charge of diplomacy, defense, and public security.

They will strive to create new breakthroughs in economic trade and other mutually beneficial fields, with primary focus on implementing three railway lines connecting the two countries. They will expand cooperation into potential areas where China has strengths and Vietnam has demand, such as science and technology, innovation, digital transformation, green transformation, clean energy.

The two sides will also continue to enhance people-to-people exchanges, especially among the youth, organize well the cultural exchange year and the 75th anniversary of the establishment of Vietnam-China diplomatic relations. It is also important to manage and resolve disputes in the sea appropriately, in line with international law and the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), contributing to peace, cooperation, and development in the region.

In his opinions, the friendly, trustworthy, and mutual understanding sentiment between the peoples of Vietnam and China is an important foundation for the sustainable development of political relations and economic cooperation between the two countries.

Based on the importance of people-to-people exchanges, the leaders of the two countries have identified stronger social foundation as one of the six pillars in Vietnam-China relations. To realize the goal, Vu said, in the recent phone conversation, the two General Secretaries launched the Year of Vietnam – China Humanistic Exchange 2025 to commemorate the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations.

Vu revealed that both Vietnam and China have jointly drawn up specific plans with activity lists to implement the exchange year.

Accordingly, both countries will continue to increase high-level exchanges and contact at all levels and through all channels. Other activities will include organizing friendly meetings, photo exhibitions, cultural, artistic, physical, and sports exchanges, cultural and language trivia contests. Localities, especially border provinces, will organize cultural exchanges and friendship activities between people on both sides of the border.

Tourism cooperation will be fostered, creating favourable conditions for people from one country to travel to the other.

“We firmly believe that the rich, diverse, and practical activities of the Year of Vietnam – China Humanistic Exchange 2025 will contribute positively to enhancing mutual understanding between the peoples of the two countries, especially the youth. Together, we will further solidify the social foundation for the comprehensive strategic cooperation partnership toward building a shared future community between Vietnam and China with strategic significance,” said the Deputy Minister.