It both continues and reinforces the traditional friendship described as “both comrades and brothers” between the two Parties and the two countries, and is an important move to strengthen high-level strategic trust, build consensus on development, and promote the China-Vietnam Community with a shared future of strategic significance.

The assessment was made by Li Qiaoping, a professor of Vietnamese language at Guangxi Minzu University, in an interview with the media in China ahead of the State visit to China by General Secretary and President To Lam from April 14 to 17.

From a national perspective, she said the visit will add fresh impetus the Comprehensive Strategic Cooperative Partnership between China and Vietnam, deepen connectivity, and create favourable conditions to upgrade cooperation in areas such as trade, connectivity, security and people-to-people exchange, while contributing to peace, stability and prosperity in the region.

At the local level, Guangxi shares land and maritime borders with Vietnam and has close cultural ties, serving as a gateway for China’s opening up and cooperation with ASEAN. The visit by General Secretary and President To Lam to Guangxi not only reaffirms long-standing friendly cooperation between Guangxi and Vietnamese localities, but also points the way for and creates opportunities for practical cooperation across multiple areas.

This will help ensure that the results of cooperation bring broader benefits to people in both countries and promote prosperity and stability in border areas.

Professor Li said, “As an educator long associated with teaching Vietnamese and regional studies, I truly feel that this visit will create a more favourable environment for exchanges in language, culture and education, as well as for technological innovation cooperation between Guangxi and Vietnamese localities in particular and between China and Vietnam in general; at the same time, it provides an important opportunity to cultivate multidisciplinary talent with an international outlook to meet the demands of the new era.”

Looking ahead to relations between Vietnamese localities and Guangxi, as well as between Vietnam and China, Professor Li expressed full confidence and high expectations.

First, she expects both sides to continue strengthening high-level guidance, deepen mutual political trust, uphold mutual respect, equality and win-win cooperation, maintain traditional friendship, and advance the building of a Community with a shared future in a more substantive manner.

Second, she expects Guangxi and Vietnamese localities to make use of geographical advantages to deepen practical cooperation in trade and logistics, cross-border industry, modern agriculture, cultural tourism and healthcare, promote a shift from an open economy to a border-gate and industrial economy, and achieve higher-quality, mutually beneficial outcomes.

Third, she also hopes that both sides will expand new areas of cooperation in education, science and technology, the digital economy and healthcare, bolster cooperation through technological innovation, and reinforce the foundation of people-to-people exchange.

Fourth, she looks to closer exchanges between young people of the two countries, ensuring that China-Vietnam friendship is passed on from one generation to the next.

Assessing cooperation prospects, Professor Li said that, based on geographical advantages, industrial foundations and current trends, Guangxi and Vietnamese localities have broad prospects for cooperation in many areas, particularly cross-border healthcare, education exchange, artificial intelligence (AI) and the digital economy. She added that with joint efforts from both sides, China-Vietnam relations will continue to develop in a stable manner, while cooperation between Guangxi and Vietnamese localities will open up greater prospects.

Enhancing traditional friendship, strategic connectivity between Vietnam and China

General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and State President To Lam has written an article posted on the People’s Daily of China ahead of his state visit to China from April 14-17.