Hanoi (VNA) –﷽ Vietnamese Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Hong Dien on February 19 held talks with Chen Gang, member of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and Secretary of the Party Committee of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

Dien welcomed Chen’s decision to select Vietnam for his first overseas trip in his new role as Secretary of the Party Committee of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, which reflects the Chinese region’s strong commitment to fostering cooperation with Vietnam. The minister expressed his delight at the progress in bilateral economic ties, noting that Vietnam-Guangxi trade reached 41.6 billion USD in 2024, a 15.4% increase year on year. Vietnam has been Guangxi’s largest trading partner for 26 consecutive years, he said. Dien proposed Chen direct Guangxi’s departments and agencies to step up bilateral economic and trade cooperation. Specifically, he stressed the need to expand the two sides’ trade, maintain stable supply chains, and optimise cross-border goods flows, particularly for agricultural and seafood products. Additionally, the minister called for timely updates on regulatory changes that could impact the bilateral trade, allowing Vietnamese businesses to prepare and adapt accordingly. It is also necessary to enhance border infrastructure to facilitate smoother trade operations, he added. In particular, Dien urged the Chinese side to open its market wider for Vietnam’s high-quality farm produce that are in high demand in China, such as citrus fruits, avocados, custard apples, and rose apples. He also proposed boosting trade promotion activities and organising programmes to showcase Vietnamese premium products in Guangxi. Other suggestions from the minister included enhancing industrial cooperation with a focus on high-tech, environmentally friendly industries that integrate advanced technology and digitalisation to improve productivity. Stronger collaboration in workforce training for the processing and manufacturing sectors is also important, he noted. Additionally, Dien urged Guangxi to expedite the signing of a memorandum of understanding on Vietnam-China power connectivity and to explore the possibility of a high-voltage direct current power link between Guangxi and Vietnam’s northern province of Quang Ninh. Furthermore, he stressed the importance of effectively implementing the 2024-2026 action plan and the 2025 priority task list, making them a highlight of the Year of Vietnam-China Humanistic Exchange.

At the talks, Chen affirmed that Guangxi is willing to implement the directions of the two countries' top leaders, facilitating and actively contributing to high-quality Vietnam-China cooperation. Expressing his satisfaction that trade with Vietnam now accounts for approximately 39.1% of Guangxi’s total foreign trade, he underscored the need for continued collaboration between the region and the Vietnamese ministry to explore new drivers of growth in bilateral economic and trade relations. He also proposed several measures to enhance bilateral trade ties, including working together to organise the 22nd China-ASEAN Expo, promoting cross-border industrial cooperation, and strengthening collaboration in artificial intelligence and e-commerce. The official called for efforts to pilot a China-Vietnam smart border gate and establish a testing and quarantine centre for Vietnamese agricultural exports to China. After the meeting, the two officials witnessed the signing of two cooperation documents, including one between the Ministry of Industry and Trade, and Guangxi authorities, namely a list of key tasks for 2025 to carry out the two sides’ 2024-2026 action plan and an MoU on enhancing industrial cooperation between Quang Ninh province's Department of Industry and Trade, and the Guangxi Department of Commerce./.