General Secretary of the Communist Party of Viet Nam (CPV) Central Committee and President To Lam will pay a state visit to China from August 18 – 20 at the invitation of General Secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and President of China Xi Jinping.

Vietnamese Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son said the visit reflects the importance and priority of the top level of both sides in consolidating and advancing their comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership, building the Viet Nam-China community with a shared future that carries strategic significance. Both sides are very eagerly looking forward to the visit and expect to achieve outcomes in several areas as follows:

Firstly, based on the relationship nurtured by leaders of both countries, including late Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and other Vietnamese leaders, continuing and further enhancing the fine and favorable development trend of the Viet Nam-China relations achieved through the historical mutual visits of the top leaders of both Parties and countries in the recent past; maintaining high-level strategic exchanges, consolidating the foundation of political confidence, and promoting the orientation for the development of the bilateral relations in the new phase.

Secondly, reaching consensus on major orientations and measures for effectively building the Viet Nam-China community with a shared future holding strategic significance in the direction of the “six major goals” agreed upon by both sides; with a focus on realizing high-level common perceptions and signed agreements; making substantive cooperation to achieve new progress, particularly in the areas of mutual interest such as railway connection, agricultural trade, high-quality investment, financial and monetary affairs, culture and tourism, and people-to-people exchanges.

Thirdly, through discussions in a frank, sincere, and substantive spirit on border and territorial issues, together appropriately addressing existing issues, better managing and solving differences on the sea issue, thus contributing to maintaining peace, stability, cooperation, and development in the region and the world.

Hallmarks in bilateral ties

The bilateral relations have witnessed rapid progress and been increasingly profound and comprehensive across all domains since their normalization more than 30 years ago, especially more than 15 years after the establishment of the framework of the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership in 2008, said the Foreign Minister.

Following the historical official visit to China by Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong in October 2022 and the third state visit to Vietnam by Party General Secretary and President of China Xi Jinping in December 2023, the two countries agreed to continue further deepening and elevating their comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership, as well as building a Viet Nam – China community with a shared future that carries strategic significance in accordance with the “six major goals”, opening up a new chapter for the bilateral relations.

So far this year, the bilateral relations have maintained robust growth momentum, with the cooperation spirit having spread strongly to all levels, sectors, and people from all walks of life. Both sides assess that bilateral relationship has been at the deepest, most comprehensive and substantive level ever.

Firstly, exchanges and contacts at the high level, and from central to local levels have been regularly maintained with various flexible forms, contributing to strengthening political trust and creating a new impulse for all levels and sectors of both sides.

Secondly, the bilateral economic-trade-investment cooperation continues growth momentum. The two-way trade turnover increased by 24.1 percent year-on-year to US$94.5 billion. In the first half, the number of FDI projects were 447 worth US$1.3 billion. 

Viet Nam welcomed 2.1 million Chinese tourists during the January-July period, higher than that of the whole 2023. People-to-people exchanges have been enhanced, the number of the Vietnamese students in China rising to more than 23,000, doubling the figure recorded before the COVID-19 broke out in 2019.

Thirdly, the land border situation has been generally stable. The East Sea situation basically well controlled; and exchange and negotiation mechanisms between the two sides on the sea issues regularly maintained.

The two sides are looking forward the 25th anniversary of the signing of the Viet Nam-China Land Border Treaty and the 15th anniversary of the signing of the three legal documents on the Viet Nam-China land border./.