Vietnam, China pledge to elevate bilateral relations in new phase

General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee and President of Vietnam To Lam and General Secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and President of China Xi Jinping agreed on April 15 to continue deepening and elevating bilateral relations in the new era, contributing to peace, cooperation and development in the region and the world.

Following an official welcome ceremony for the Vietnamese leader, with the highest protocol reserved for heads of state at the Great Hall of the People, the top leaders held in-depth and comprehensive discussions on their respective national situations, bilateral relations and regional and international issues of mutual concern.

They expressed their satisfaction with the positive developments in bilateral ties in recent years. High-level strategic exchanges have become increasingly frequent; cooperation mechanisms have been more comprehensive, diverse and trustworthy; and defence and security cooperation has evolved from exchanges to more substantive activities.

Economic, trade and investment ties, along with transport connectivity, have also seen new breakthroughs, while local-level cooperation and people-to-people exchanges have remained vibrant. Coordination in multilateral frameworks has also grown closer.

Amid complex global developments, the two leaders said that the two Parties and countries should further strengthen solidarity, enhance strategic trust and promote policy connectivity, trade, infrastructure and energy.

The leaders agreed to continue directing relevant agencies to adhere to the six major orientations, maintain regular high-level exchanges and promote the guiding role of Party-to-Party channels.

They emphasised the need to expand substantive cooperation across sectors, reinforce the social foundation of bilateral ties, enhance close coordination through multilateral mechanisms, and better manage and resolve differences.

At the talks, the two leaders officially announced the launch of the Vietnam-China Tourism Cooperation Year 2026-2027, agreeing to step up joint promotion activities, improve tourism infrastructure and services, and maintain each country’s position as a leading source of tourists for the other.

The top Vietnamese leader called for enhanced theory exchanges and cadre training, stronger substantive cooperation between key agencies, particularly in diplomacy, national defence and public security, and the effective implementation of the ministerial-level 3+3 strategic dialogue mechanism.

He also proposed increasing cooperation in security, defence and military trade, along with supporting each other in successfully hosting APEC Year 2026 and 2027 in each country.

Another suggestion included elevating economic, trade, investment and tourism ties to a new height to contribute to the realisation of each country’s development goals. Priority should be given to upgrading strategic infrastructure connectivity, especially railways, shifting from simple trade to deeper economic links, and associating bilateral trade with infrastructure, logistics and market connectivity.

Lam proposed that China open its market as wide as possible to Vietnamese goods and work toward balanced and heathy trade. He also called for stronger investment, technology transfer, development of supporting industries, and the establishment of complete production and supply chains in Vietnam, as well as coordination in building mechanisms to ensure strategic energy supply.

In addition, he emphasised expanding cooperation in education and training, science and technology, culture, people-to-people exchanges and local-level cooperation, including providing more scholarships for Vietnamese students and boosting collaboration between leading universities in both countries.

Xi agreed with these proposals, suggesting that the two sides further intensify political trust and strategic exchanges, maintain high-level contacts and bring into play the special role of Party-to-Party relations.

The host recommended the two sides effectively align the Belt and Road Initiative with the 'Two Corridors, One Belt' framework, accelerate strategic infrastructure connectivity and actively implement the three standard-gauge railway projects linking the two countries.

He welcomed the increasing export of high-quality Vietnamese goods to the Chinese market, and called for deeper cooperation in key sectors, stronger production and supply chain collaboration, and encouragement for Chinese enterprises to invest more in Vietnam.