China has been the largest trade partner of Vietnam since 2004, the Vietnamese diplomat said, adding trade value between the two countries enjoyed upswing during January – November.

China has been the second biggest FDI investor in Vietnam while the latter has been the largest trade partner of the Northeast Asian country in the ASEAN bloc since 2016. Both nations have reached a number of agreements on quarantine of milk and dairy products and mangosteen.

It is worthy of note that Vietnam successfully exported its first batch of milk to China this year, he stressed.

Regarding territorial and border issues, Sao Mai applauded the joint efforts of both sides, saying their borderline has been maintained in a peaceful and stable manner for mutual development and cooperation.

Additionally, exchanges and cooperation between localities in border areas have proved fruitful in recent times.

Party and  State leaders of the two countries reached mutual understanding on the necessity to control divergences, take proper measures to handle maritime issues, have no actions that complicate the East Sea situation, and settle disputes via peaceful means in line with international law, including the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNLCOS 1982), he said.

The diplomat also shared cooperative roadmaps set out by the two countries in 2020 such as deepening mutual political trust on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the diplomatic ties, developing the economic-trade relations in a more practical way, and strengthening people-to-people exchanges, mutual understanding and friendship between the two peoples.