On March 30, in Hanoi, Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son hosted a reception for ecretary of the Party Committee of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region Liu Ning: Overview of the meeting. (Photo: WVR/Tuan Anh)

During the session, the Foreign Minister proposed that the two sides promote existing bilateral cooperation mechanisms and programmes, expand friendship exchange between the people along the shared border, and effectively implement legal documents regarding land border and related agreements.

The two sides shared delight at the sound development of the Vietnam-China relations over the years, especially after Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong’s visit to China last year.

They agreed that the success of the visit has given a strong impetus to the growth of the traditional friendship between the two Parties and the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership between the two countries.

Underlining the role and significance of local cooperation in the overall relations between the two countries, the two sides held that the fruitful collaboration between Vietnamese localities and Guangxi is a bright spot in the bilateral relations.

Son affirmed that Vietnam always treasures the friendly neighbourliness and comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership with China, considering the ties as a top priority in the country’s foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, multilateralisation and diversification. He thanked Guangxi for providing medical equipment to Vietnam to support the country in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic.

He suggested that the two sides increase visits and meetings among sectors and agencies at all levels, and roll out measures to further enhance the efficiency of customs clearance process, thus maintaining the smooth supply chain and trade activities, increasing the volume of Vietnamese goods transiting China to third countries by rail through the Dong Dang (Vietnam) - Ping Xian (China) border gate.

The two sides should work closely together to complete the procedures to upgrade a number of border gate pairs and open new ones, while strengthening collaboration in managing and ensuring border security, thus facilitating friendship exchanges and traveling activities between the two countries, and building a shared border of peace, stability, cooperation and development.

Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son hosts China’s Guangxi Party Secretary Liu Ning: Participants pose for a group photo. (Photo: WVR/Tuan Anh)

For his part, Secretary Liu briefed his host on the socio-economic situation of Guangxi, affirming that the locality pays special attention to the friendship and win-win cooperation with ministries, sectors and localities of Vietnam, and hopes to work with Vietnam to realise common perceptions reached by senior leaders of the two Parties and nations, thus further deepening the relationship between the two countries.

He asked for Vietnam’s support to the organisation of the 20th China-ASEAN Expo (CAEXPO) in Guangxi, and pledged that the Chinese locality will coordinate with the Vietnamese side to organise the Spring meeting for provincial Party Committees’ Secretaries and the 15th meeting of the joint working group of Guangxi and Vietnamese provinces of Ha Giang, Quang Ninh, Lang Son and Cao Bang in Guangxi in 2024.

The Chinese official also raised a number of proposals related to cooperation in various areas such as transport infrastructure connections, customs clearance facilitation, tourism, and people-to-people exchange.