This is Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh's first official visit to China, and also the first official visit by a Vietnamese Prime Minister to China in the past 7 years, continuing the regular exchanges and contacts between senior leaders of the two Parties and two countries in recent times.

Bringing the Vietnam-China comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership increasingly deeper and more substantial

In the context of complicated and unpredictable developments in international relations and a serious recession in the world economy due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, this visit is of great significance, an opportunity for senior leaders of the two countries to discuss in depth measures to comprehensively implement the results and common perceptions reached during the official visit to China by General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong (October 30 - November 1, 2022), making efforts to promote mutually beneficial cooperation in all fields, and controlling disagreements well, contributing to deepening the Vietnam-China comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership in more and more substance.

In recent times, the political relations between Vietnam and China have generally maintained a stable development trend and achieved many positive results. In 2022, high-level exchanges and contacts have been maintained closely in a flexible manner, most notably the very successful official visit to China by General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong (October 30 - November 1); in addition, the two General Secretaries of the two Parties also regularly exchanged letters and telegrams on the occasion of important events of the two countries and the bilateral relationship.

President Nguyen Xuan Phuc sent a congratulatory letter to President Xi Jinping on the occasion of China hosting the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics (February 4, 2022). Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and Chinese Premier Li Keqiang had two phone calls (January 13 and September 19, 2022).

The two sides successfully held the 14th meeting of the Vietnam-China Bilateral Cooperation Steering Committee in person (July 13, 2022). Exchanges and cooperation on the Party, National Assembly, Fatherland Front channels, between ministries, branches, localities, and people's organizations of the two countries are regularly carried out.

Since the beginning of 2023, the two sides' senior leaders have maintained flexible forms of exchange and contact. The two Parties' General Secretaries exchanged congratulatory letters on the occasion of the Year of the Cat 2023, and exchanged high-level congratulatory messages on the occasion of the 73rd anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries (January 18).

Chinese President Xi Jinping (March 2) sent a congratulatory message to President Vo Van Thuong on his inauguration. Senior Vietnamese leaders (March 10-12) sent congratulatory messages to senior Chinese leaders elected at the 2023 Two Sessions. Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh had a phone call with Chinese Premier Li Qiang (April 4). National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue had an online meeting with Chairman of the National People's Congress Zhao Leji (March 27). Comrade Truong Thi Mai, Politburo member, Standing member of the Secretariat, Head of the Central Organization Commission, visited and worked in China (April 25-28).

Member of the Politburo and Director of the Office of the Central Foreign Affairs Commission of China Wang Yi sent a congratulatory message to comrade Tran Luu Quang on the occasion of his appointment as Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the Steering Committee for Vietnam-China Bilateral Cooperation.

The two sides' levels, sectors and localities actively restored delegation exchanges after China adjusted its epidemic prevention policy. Chairman of Phu Tho Provincial People's Committee Bui Van Quang (from February 25 to March 1), Chairman of the State Capital Management Committee at Enterprises Nguyen Hoang Anh (from March 13 to 19) visited China; the two sides organized the 2023 Spring Meeting Program between the Provincial Party Secretaries and the 14th Conference of the Joint Working Committee between the four provinces of Ha Giang, Quang Ninh, Lang Son, Cao Bang and Guangxi (February 22); Secretary of Hainan Provincial Party Committee, China visited Vietnam (from February 20 to 23); Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs of China visited for a working visit (from March 9 to 11); Secretary of Yunnan (from March 28 to 29), Secretary of Guangxi visited Vietnam (from March 30 to April 2).

Regarding trade, in 2022, Vietnam-China import-export turnover reached 175.56 billion USD (up 5.47%), of which Vietnam's exports reached 57.7 billion USD (up 3.18%), imports reached 117.86 billion USD (up 6.63%), Vietnam had a trade deficit of 60.17 billion USD (up 10.18%). According to Chinese data, the total import-export turnover between Vietnam and China in 2022 reached 234.9 billion USD, up 2.1% (much lower than the growth of 19.7% in 2021). Of which, exports to China reached 87.9 billion USD, down 4.7%; imports from China reached 146.9 billion USD, up 6.8%. Vietnam had a trade deficit with China of 59 billion USD. Vietnam continues to hold the position of China's largest trading partner in ASEAN and China's fourth largest trading partner by single country (after the US, Japan, and South Korea).

In the first 5 months of 2023, Vietnam's total import-export turnover with China reached 61.5 billion USD, down 14.5% over the same period in 2022. Of which, Vietnam's export turnover to China reached 20.3 billion USD, down 6.8%, Vietnam's exports to China accounted for 15% of Vietnam's total exports to the world. Vietnam's import turnover from China reached 41.2 billion USD, down 17.9%, Vietnam's imports from China accounted for 32.8% of Vietnam's total imports from the world. Vietnam's trade deficit with China was worth 20.8 billion USD, down 26.5%.

Regarding investment, in the first 5 months of 2023, China's investment reached 1.08 billion USD with 156 projects, making it the 3rd largest FDI investor in Vietnam (after Singapore and Japan). As of May 20, 2023, China maintained its 6th position out of 143 countries and territories investing FDI in Vietnam with 3,720 valid projects, with a total registered capital of nearly 24.9 billion USD.

Regarding tourism, China has been the leader in the number of tourists to Vietnam for many years (in 2019, it reached more than 5.8 million arrivals, accounting for 1/3 of the total international arrivals to Vietnam). Since February 2020, due to the outbreak of COVID-19, tourism cooperation between the two countries has been temporarily interrupted. From March 15, 2023, China has officially resumed allowing tourist groups to travel to Vietnam, reopened a number of commercial flights between localities of the two countries (Hanoi-Beijing) and adjusted visa, entry and exit, and medical quarantine policies for foreigners coming to China.

Regarding cooperation in COVID-19 prevention and control, China is one of the countries that provides the most and fastest vaccines to Vietnam; up to now, it has provided Vietnam with more than 50 million doses of Sinopharm vaccine, of which 7.3 million doses are non-refundable aid and 45 million doses are sold commercially; committed to providing Vietnam with 26.5 million yuan in aid to purchase medical supplies for epidemic prevention and control (5 million yuan has been transferred to Vietnam); Chinese localities (Guangxi, Yunnan, Guangdong...) also support a large amount of medical supplies for Vietnamese localities.

Enhancing Vietnam's role and voice in global issues

During his visit, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh will attend the WEF Tianjin, co-organized by the WEF and the Chinese Government. This is the second largest conference after the WEF Davos (Switzerland). The 14th conference this year has the theme "Enterprise: The driving force of the global economy" with more than 100 sessions, focusing on issues such as growth adjustment, energy and raw material transition, nature and climate protection, post-pandemic consumption, China in the global context, and application of innovation.

As a reliable partner and responsible member of the international community, Vietnam will actively contribute and coordinate with international partners to solve global issues to maintain and promote regional and world economic growth.

Through this conference, Vietnam hopes to promote its socio-economic development achievements, convey a major message about Vietnam's development goals, viewpoints and orientations; grasp new issues and trends of the world economy, exchange development and governance thinking at the global, regional and national levels in the context of profound changes in the world economy, thereby enhancing Vietnam's role and voice in global issues; continue to promote the increasingly effective and substantive Vietnam-WEF cooperation relationship; strengthen cooperation with global and regional corporations, especially Chinese enterprises, to continue to consolidate a favorable international environment and attract external resources to serve the country's development.

Since Vietnam and WEF established relations in 1989, the cooperation between Vietnam and WEF has been promoted and developed in many fields by the leaders of both sides. In January 2020, the two sides completed the Cooperation Agreement on "Developing a resilient Vietnamese economy for the future" (2017-2019 period). The two sides are moving towards signing the Vietnam-WEF Cooperation Agreement for the 2023-2026 period to make cooperation more practical and effective.

Since 2000, Vietnam has attended the WEF Davos Annual Conference at the Prime Minister level four times (2007, 2010, 2017, 2019) (other years usually attended at the Deputy Prime Minister level); attended the WEF ASEAN Conference (before 2016, it was WEF East Asia) at the Prime Minister level four times (2012, 2013, 2014 and 2017) (other years usually attended at the Deputy Prime Minister level).

Vietnam and WEF have coordinated to organize many important conferences. Of which, the first National Strategic Dialogue between Vietnam and WEF (October 29, 2021) was held in both direct and online formats with the theme "Strengthening public-private partnerships: A key driver of comprehensive recovery and sustainable, inclusive and innovative development". The dialogue is considered the most successful national strategic dialogue that WEF has coordinated with a country to organize, in terms of participation level, content, timing and organization.

Vietnam hosted the 2018 WEF ASEAN Conference in Hanoi from September 11-13, 2018, the first WEF-Mekong Conference on October 25, 2016 in Hanoi and the WEF East Asia Conference from June 6-7, 2010 in Ho Chi Minh City.

On the basis of utilizing information and expert resources of WEF on issues that WEF has strengths in, especially in enhancing the competitiveness of the economy and the 4.0 industrial revolution, WEF regularly supports providing information, organizing policy dialogues with the leaders of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as well as sending experts to contribute consulting opinions at important forums (Vietnam Economic Forum, Ho Chi Minh City Economic Forum...) on development trends and new growth drivers in the world, serving related reports and research.

The Cooperation Agreement on "Developing a Resilient Vietnamese Economy towards the Future" was signed in January 2017 and completed in January 2020 as a result of Vietnam-WEF policy consulting cooperation. Implementing the Agreement, the two sides organized the Workshop on Competitiveness and Inclusive Development and the Workshop on Infrastructure; launched the 2018 Infrastructure Working Group in Hanoi.

Currently, WEF is working with Ho Chi Minh City to promote the establishment of the Industrial Revolution 4.0 Center in the City. The initiative is promoted based on previous discussions between WEF and the Ministry of Information and Communications, taking into account the possibility of agreeing on specific projects and implementation costs appropriate to the goals, interests and context of Ho Chi Minh City. WEF and the Ministry of Information and Communications also discussed promoting cooperation in digital transformation.

Vietnam is one of the key partners of WEF within the framework of the "New Vision for Agriculture" initiative. The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development regularly attends WEF's annual conferences. Since 2016, Minister of Industry and Trade Tran Tuan Anh has joined the Coordinating Board of the WEF's "Future of Production Systems" project and since 2017 has joined the ASEAN Regional Strategy Group (RSG). Vietnam and WEF have jointly organized a number of workshops on competitiveness such as the Workshop "The role of enterprises in enhancing national competitiveness in international integration" in November 2014.

WEF and the Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs are discussing the possibility of Vietnam joining the Global Network to Accelerate Closing the Skills Gap. This is an area of ​​cooperation that WEF is effectively implementing with many initiatives in countries around the world.

Based on the results of the implementation of the "Vietnam National Action Partnership on Plastic Waste" (NPAP) between WEF and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, the two sides are discussing and promoting public-private cooperation, science and technology and experience sharing; continuing to cooperate in solving the problem of plastic waste; developing policies and programs to support Vietnam in implementing its commitments at COP26, and building and applying circular economic models.