Addressing the Boao Forum for Asia, the president emphasized that the two countries are close neighbors and have worked together on tackling the Covid-19 pandemic, maintain economic growth and become bright spots in the region and the world.

He said Vietnam wishes to enhance comprehensive, effective, equal and mutually beneficial cooperation with China so that the two nations could overcome the pandemic together, maintain a peaceful and stable environment and work to strengthen bilateral relations.

In the context of the world facing unprecedented challenges, Phuc said that no country can address them on their own. Only cooperation and solidarity can bring success, he said.

Countries need to join hands in action for inclusive, sustainable and safe development for all, he added.

The Vietnamese president highlighted a number of areas that countries need to pay special attention to, including promoting cooperation in pandemic control, ensuring vaccine access at reasonable cost, guaranteeing macroeconomic stability, facilitating trade and investment, securing supply chains, boosting production and creating jobs, mobilizing resources for sustainable and inclusive economic development, and building synchronous and developing human resources for digital transformation.

The four-day annual conference from Sunday to Wednesday is being held both online and offline in Boao, a coastal city in the southern Chinese province of Hainan.

Themed "A World in Change: Join Hands to Strengthen Global Governance and Advance Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) Cooperation," the conference will discuss several topics including carbon neutrality, climate change and digital economy.

The Boao Forum for Asia is an international organization jointly initiated by 29 member states. It holds its annual conference in Boao. The founding purpose of the forum is to promote economic integration in Asia. It has since said the mission is to pool positive energies for the development of Asia and the world.