Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son (R) meets with Secretary of the Communist Party of China Committee of China’s Yunnan province, Wang Ning in Hanoi on March 28, 2023. (Photo: baoquocte.vn)

Both host and guest highly valued the progress in the Vietnam - China comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership, especially in politics, economy, trade, and investment, saying the official visit to China by General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Nguyen Phu Trong in October 2022 was an important milestone opening up a new development period for relations between the two Parties and the two countries.

Stressing the role of locality-to-locality exchanges, they expressed their delight at the encouraging results of substantive cooperation between Vietnamese sectors and localities and Yunnan province.

Foreign Minister Son affirmed that the Party, State, and people of Vietnam always attach importance to the friendly neighbourliness and comprehensive cooperation with China and view this as the leading priority of Vietnam’s foreign policy.

Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son welcomes Secretary of China’s Yunnan provincial Party Committee Wang Ning: The meeting in Hanoi on March 28, 2023. (Photo: WVR/Tuan Anh)

He appreciated contributions by the Party organisation, administration, and people of Yunnan to the two countries’ friendship, including the upgrade of the President Ho Chi Minh relic site in Kunming city and the donation of a large amount of medical supplies to Vietnam to fight the COVID-19 pandemic.

Giving some suggestions for enhancing cooperation between Vietnam and Yunnan, he recommended increasing mutual visits at all levels, bringing into play existing cooperation mechanisms and programmes, and expanding friendship exchanges between organisations of the two sides’ border residents.

Foreign Minister Son asked Yunnan to boost importing agricultural and aquatic products of Vietnam's strength, coordinate to maintain smooth customs clearance at border gates, step up road and rail transport connectivity in border areas, and resume the direct air route for passenger and cargo transport between the two sides early.

Foreign Minister Son asked Yunnan to boost importing agricultural and aquatic products of Vietnam's strength. (Photo: WVR/Tuan Anh)

The official also called on both sides to maintain close coordination in the management and sustainable use of water sources of border rivers and streams, properly implement the three legal documents on land border between Vietnam and China and related agreements, soon complete procedures for upgrading and opening some border gate pairs and border crossings, work together more closely to manage and guarantee order and security in border areas, create favourable conditions for friendship exchanges and movements of border residents, and join hands to build a land border of peace, stability, cooperation, and development.

For his part, Secretary Wang said Yunnan attaches special importance to the friendship and mutually beneficial cooperation with Vietnamese ministries, sectors, and localities.

Secretary of the Communist Party of China Committee of China’s Yunnan province Wang Ning said Yunnan attaches special importance to the friendship and mutually beneficial cooperation with Vietnamese ministries, sectors, and localities. (Photo: WVR/Tuan Anh)

The Yunnan province wishes to join Vietnam in properly implementing the common perceptions reached between leaders of the two Parties and the two countries and continuing to develop bilateral relations in a substantive manner, he noted.

Agreeing with his host’s cooperation suggestions, he emphasied the readiness to maintain exchanges and contact with Vietnamese localities, especially those sharing the border with Yunnan, and capitalise on the two sides’ potential, strengths, and complementarities, thereby contributing to the Vietnam - China comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership.