 |
| Vietnamese Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and Chinese Party General Secretary and President Xi Jinping in Beijing, October 31, 2022 (Photo: VNA) |
Political relations maintain stable and positive trend
Leaders of the two countries have reached many important common understandings, contributing to bringing bilateral relations to new heights. In 1999, during Party General Secretary Le Kha Phieu's visit to China, senior leaders of the two Parties and two countries determined the motto to promote bilateral relations in the 21st century as “friendly neighbourliness, comprehensive cooperation, long-term stability and future-oriented thinking.”
In December 2000, State President Tran Duc Luong visited China, and the two sides signed a Joint Declaration on comprehensive cooperation in the new century. In particular, during Party General Secretary Nong Duc Manh's visit to China in May 2008, the two sides agreed to establish the Vietnam-China relationship framework as a "comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership".
In October 2022, Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong's official visit to China was the first direct official foreign activity between the top leaders of the two Parties and two countries after the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. This was the first foreign visit of Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong after the 13th Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam.
Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong was the first highest foreign leader that the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and Party General Secretary and President of China Xi Jinping welcomed right after the 20th Congress of the Communist Party of China. The official visit to China by Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong was extremely important, strengthening and deepening the Vietnam-China comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership in the new period.
 |
| Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and Chinese Deputy Prime Minister Liu Guozhong, along with delegates attending the Vietnam - China Trade and Investment Cooperation Forum in Beijing in June 2023 (Photo: VGP) |
Strong growth in economic cooperation, trade and investment
Two-way trade turnover between Vietnam and China has maintained good growth momentum in the context of the pandemic negatively impacting trade of most countries in the world. Vietnam has continuously been the largest trading partner in ASEAN (since 2016), and the 6th largest trading partner in the world (since 2020) of China.
In 2021, the total trade turnover of Vietnam - China reach USD165.9 billion, an increase of 24.6% compared to 2020, accounting for one fourth of the total trade turnover between China and ASEAN. In 2022, Vietnam - China export turnover reach USD175.56 billion, an increase of 5.47% compared to the previous year.
Vietnam continued to hold the position of China's largest trading partner in ASEAN and China's 4th largest trading partner by individual country, after the US, Japan, and the Republic of Korea.
In terms of investment, in the first 6 months of 2023, Chinese investment reached nearly USD1.3 billion with 233 projects, making it the third largest FDI investor in Vietnam (after Singapore and Japan). As of June 20, China maintained the 6 out of 143 countries and territories investing FDI in Vietnam with 3,791 valid projects worth total registered capital of more than USD25 billion.
Health cooperation, especially COVID-19 pandemic prevention, has been a bright spot in the two countries' relationship recently. China was one of the countries that provided the most and fastest vaccines to Vietnam. By the end of 2021, China had provided Vietnam with 7.3 million doses of aid and commercially provided about 45 million doses of vaccines.
 |
| The 26th ASEAN - China Summit within the framework of the 43rd ASEAN Summit and related conferences in Indonesia in September 2023 (Photo: VNA) |
Contributions of two countries to regional and world peace
The two countries have promoted coordination and cooperation in regional and international multilateral mechanisms, especially within the ASEAN framework, together with other countries actively participating in contributing to peace, stability, cooperation and development.
In particular, cooperation in United Nations peacekeeping operations between Vietnam and China is a new area of cooperation and is opening up positive prospects. At the peacekeeping mission areas, the forces participating in UN peacekeeping activities of the two countries are working together to contribute to the common mission.
In high-level meetings, Vietnamese and Chinese leaders always emphasize the importance of the two countries strengthening coordination and cooperation at regional and international forums, especially within the UN framework, World Trade Organization (WTO), Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum (APEC), East Asia Summit (EAS), First Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) and Mekong-Lancang.
The two sides have coordinated and cooperated closely at these multilateral mechanisms and forums, contributing to promoting dialogue and cooperation between countries around the world, joining hands to respond to emerging challenges that threaten peace, security and stability of the region./.