Member of the Political Bureau, Director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi. (Photo: Xinhua)

Member of the Politburo, Director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi commented that the State visit to Vietnam by General Secretary and President of China Xi Jinping is the most important political event in China-Vietnam relations in 2023. The visit was a great success, of great historical significance, becoming a new milestone in the relationship between the two Parties and two countries.

The State visit to Vietnam by General Secretary and President of China Xi Jinping is the most important political event in China-Vietnam relations in 2023. The visit was a great success, of great historical significance, becoming a new milestone in the relationship between the two Parties and the two countries. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi

The head of the Chinese Foreign Ministry reviewed three outcomes of the visit: new heights in China-Vietnam relations; new achievements in practical cooperation; new chapters of traditional friendship. Regarding the new heights of China-Vietnam relations, Mr. Wang Yi said that in 2017, General Secretary and President of China Xi Jinping chose Vietnam as the destination for his first overseas trip after the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China. In 2022, General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong was the first foreign leader to visit China after the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China. This year marks the 15th anniversary of the establishment of the Comprehensive Strategic Cooperative Partnership between the two countries, and General Secretary and President of China Xi Jinping visited Vietnam. This is the third mutual visit between the General Secretaries of the two Parties, demonstrating the special friendship between China and Vietnam and the high regard that both sides attach to the relationship between the two Parties and the two countries. Regarding new achievements in practical cooperation, Mr. Wang Yi said that the economic complementarity between the two countries is very large, and the bilateral economic and trade cooperation is very close. China has always been Vietnam's largest trading partner. Vietnam is China's largest trading partner in ASEAN. Currently, both countries are in an important stage of reform and development. Both sides have both advantages and needs to strengthen mutually beneficial cooperation. During this visit, the two sides signed more than 30 cooperation documents in many fields such as: the "Belt and Road" initiative, development cooperation, digital economy, green development, transportation, quarantine, defense and security cooperation, maritime cooperation, etc. This has contributed to promoting the further development of China-Vietnam relations in both breadth and depth. According to Mr. Wang Yi, the "6 more" goals: higher political trust, more substantive defense-security cooperation, deeper substantive cooperation, more solid social foundation, closer multilateral coordination and better control of disagreements that the General Secretaries of the two Parties have established are the orientations to comprehensively enhance bilateral cooperation in the fields of politics, economy-trade, security, local cooperation, people-to-people exchange, while building a model of mutual benefit, mutual victory and mutual development. Regarding the new chapter of traditional friendship, Mr. Wang Yi said that China and Vietnam are connected by mountains and rivers, have many cultural similarities, and have many good stories about friendly exchanges. President Ho Chi Minh once participated in revolutionary activities in China for a long time. His famous poem: "The close love between Vietnam and China/Both comrades and brothers" is still widely circulated in both countries, becoming a vivid symbol of the China-Vietnam relationship, and also the most valuable asset of the people of the two countries. In particular, bilateral cooperation must focus more on the people, especially strengthening cooperation between youth and localities between the two countries, enhancing the awareness of the people of the two countries about the China-Vietnam Community of Shared Future, as well as understanding of the traditional friendship between the two Parties and the two countries, and constantly consolidating the social foundation for China-Vietnam friendship. China's top diplomat believes that under the strategic guidance of the senior leaders of the two Parties and the two countries, with the support of all walks of life of the two countries, the China-Vietnam friendship will last forever. In addition, Minister Wang Yi said that the international media is particularly interested and all believe that this visit by General Secretary and President of China Xi Jinping shows respect for Vietnam, and will have important and far-reaching impacts on the regional and world situation.