Hanoi (VNA) – The upcoming state visit to China by General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee and President To Lam is expected to open up a new development period for the relationship between the two countries.

The visit by the top leader and his spouse, from August 18-20, is made at the invitation of General Secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and President of China Xi Jinping and his spouse.

Party General Secretary and President Lam’s state visit to China shortly after he took up the new post demonstrates the importance and top priority both sides attach to the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership and the building of the Vietnam-China community with a shared future that carries strategic significance.

The visit is a particularly important foreign activity between the two countries this year, and it is expected to exert great impacts on the development trend of the relations between the two Parties and countries in the long term to come.

Over the past more than 70 years (January 18, 1950-2024), friendship and cooperation have remained the mainstream of the Vietnam-China relations despite many “ups and downs”.

The friendship, fostered by generations of Vietnamese and Chinese leaders, has become a valuable common asset of the two nations, contributing to maintaining the stable development trend of the traditional friendly ties, bringing tangible benefits to the two peoples.

Over the past time, especially after the historic official visit to China by Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong in 2022, the bilateral relationship has continued with its development trend, with positive results recorded. Visits by high-ranking leaders have been carried out actively, exchanges and cooperative activities between the two Parties have been maintained regularly, and delegation exchanges between agencies and localities have been restored.

The year 2023 marks the 15th anniversary of the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership, a milestone of the bilateral ties. Over the past 15 years, with the motto of "friendly neighbourliness, comprehensive cooperation, long-term stability, looking toward the future” and the spirit of “good neighbours, good friends, good comrades, good partners,” the bilateral cooperation has seen positive, comprehensive strides across all spheres. The relations between the two Parties and countries have also been constantly expanded and deepened, and growing more practically, firmly and comprehensively in all fields.

Through the state visit to Vietnam by Party General Secretary and President Xi and his spouse last year, the two sides have enhanced political trust and mutual understanding, contributing to promoting their solidarity and traditional friendship, and fostering and deepening the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership.

After the two countries agreed to deepen and advance the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership and build the Vietnam-China community with a shared future that carries strategic significance (December 2023), the bilateral relations have maintained the positive development trend, which is spread among agencies and sectors, forming a vibrant cooperation atmosphere. The two countries’ political trust has been consolidated, and all-level exchanges have taken place in the warm atmosphere. The two sides have agreed on some new dialogue mechanisms.

China showed its special appreciation to the late Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong. When he passed away, President Xi paid tribute to the late leader at the Vietnamese Embassy in Beijing, and sent Wang Huning, member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Central Committee’s Political Bureau and Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference as the Special Representative to the funeral in Vietnam for the late leader.

Besides, economic, trade, investment, tourism and education ties have also seen many rosy signs. Two-way trade in the first six months of this year grew 24.1%, and China continued taking the lead in the number of new projects in Vietnam. The number of Chinese tourists to Vietnam also outnumbered that in 2023. Currently, as many as 23,000 Vietnamese students are studying in China, doubling the pre-COVID-19 figure. The two sides have also promoted new cooperation contents in infrastructure and trade.

The year 2024 marks the 25th anniversary of the signing of the Vietnam-China Land Border Treaty and the 15th anniversary of the signing of the three legal documents on the Vietnam-China land border.

The treaty has completely resolved the issue of land border demarcation between the two countries in the legal aspect, demonstrating the steadfast will and determination with which both sides strive for peace, friendship and cooperation. The signing of the treaty has been seen as a model in which the two sides have settled the border issue through friendly consultations, enhancing their trust in dialogue and addressing disagreements over other land border and maritime issues.

The two sides have well implemented the treaty, making the border area a peaceful, stable one with vibrant trade and busy travelling.

For people-to-people exchange and cooperation between localities, nearly 60 Vietnamese cities and provinces have set up friendly cooperation with Chinese counterparts. Meanwhile, socio-political organisations and localities have established and maintained regular cooperation mechanisms and programmes.

Le Hoai Trung, Secretary of the CPV Central Committee and head of its Commission for External Relations, said “with Lam’s visit, we hope to work together with China to accelerate the implementation of high-level common perceptions, especially those reached during the historic visit to China by Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong in 2022, and the visit to Vietnam by Party General Secretary and President Xi Jinping in 2023, in the spirit of strengthening and deepening the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership, and building the Vietnam-China community with a shared future that carries strategic significance.”

According to him, within the framework of the visit, “we will discuss issues of Vietnam’s concern, as well as how to promote cooperation with the partner who is both a neighbour, a socialist country, and a world power, thus consolidating a favourable foreign environment and foreign position, optimising external resources for the successful implementation of socio-economic development targets, and implementing foreign affairs and international integration as set in the Resolution of the 13th National Party Congress”.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son noted his belief that with the special attention and close coordination from both sides, Party General Secretary and State President Lam and his spouse's state visit to China will be a success, becoming a new milestone and opening up a new period in the development of the friendly neighbourliness, the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership, and the Vietnam-China community with a shared future which carries strategic significance.

☂ The visit affirms that Vietnam views its relationship with China a top priority and a strategic choice, as well as the Vietnamese Party and State’s consistent policy of independence, self-reliance, peace, friendship, cooperation and development, and diversification and multilateralisation of foreign relations, and the continuity of comprehensive, modern diplomacy consisting of three pillars - Party diplomacy, State diplomacy and people-to-people diplomacy, promoting its pioneering role in creating and maintaining a peaceful and stable environment, and mobilising external resources to develop and enhance the country’s position and prestige./.