On the afternoon of April 15, 2026, as part of the delegation accompanying Party General Secretary and State President To Lam on a state visit to China, Minister of Industry and Trade Le Manh Hung held bilateral talks with China’s Minister of Commerce Wang Wentao.

On the Vietnamese side, attendees included leaders from the Electricity Authority, the Asia-Africa Market Department, and the Vietnam Trade Office at the Vietnamese Embassy in China. The Chinese Ministry of Commerce was represented by officials from departments covering Asian Affairs, Foreign Trade, Outbound Investment and International Cooperation, International Economic and Trade Relations, Foreign Investment Administration, Foreign Affairs, and the Ministry’s General Office.

During the meeting, the two ministers reviewed recent developments in bilateral economic and trade cooperation, as well as the implementation of high-level common understandings and cooperation agreements signed between the two ministries in recent years.

Both sides affirmed that Vietnam and China remain key trading partners for each other. China has consistently been Vietnam’s largest trading partner and its second-largest export market for many consecutive years. Meanwhile, Vietnam continues to be China’s largest trading partner within ASEAN. According to Vietnam Customs, bilateral trade reached USD 256.5 billion in 2025, up 24.8% year-on-year.

To promote more balanced and sustainable trade relations, Minister Le Manh Hung stressed the need for both sides to restructure production, trade, and supply chains, while enhancing investment cooperation.

He proposed that China increase imports of Vietnamese goods, expand the list of products eligible for tariff preferences, and further open its market. He also called for mutual recognition of sanitary and phytosanitary measures for agricultural, forestry, and fishery products; facilitation for Vietnam’s participation in the “Shared Large Market - China Exports” program; support for cross-border e-commerce exports; and the expansion of Vietnam’s trade promotion offices in Chinese localities.

Minister Wang Wentao expressed agreement with the proposals. He said the Chinese Ministry of Commerce would continue supporting Vietnam in establishing additional trade promotion offices in China, following those already set up in Chongqing, Hangzhou, and Haikou. China is also ready to facilitate Vietnam’s exports through cross-border e-commerce, and suggested that Vietnam strengthen the presence of its national pavilion on Chinese e-commerce platforms beyond JD to better promote Vietnamese products to Chinese consumers.

Regarding the “Shared Large Market - China Exports” program, Minister Wang invited Vietnam to actively participate in five Vietnam-related activities under the 2026 program and welcomed Vietnam to serve as the featured country in the 2027 event series. He emphasized that both ministries should focus on implementing the high-level consensus between the two countries’ leaders, including the goal of raising bilateral trade turnover to USD 500 billion in the coming years.

The two ministers agreed to establish a joint technical working group to review progress and accelerate the implementation of high-level agreements and outcomes of the talks, as well as commitments outlined in signed documents. On this occasion, Minister Wang invited Minister Le Manh Hung to lead a Vietnamese delegation to attend the APEC Ministers Responsible for Trade Meeting in Suzhou from May 22 - 23, 2026.

Minister Le Manh Hung also extended an invitation to Minister Wang to visit Vietnam at a mutually convenient time to further deepen discussions on areas of shared interest.

The talks were held in a sincere and constructive atmosphere, enhancing mutual understanding and contributing to the implementation of high-level consensus, with a view to fostering more balanced, stable, and substantive growth in bilateral economic and trade relations.