The Vietnamese Consulate General in Hong Kong and Macau (China) on September 5 celebrated the 69th anniversary of National Day (September 2, 1945) in the presence of local officials and the Vietnamese community.

Addressing the ceremony, Consul General Hoang Chi Trung said Vietnam has reaped a multitude of achievements in nearly three decades of the renewal process.

He noted relations between Vietnam and China in general and Hong Kong in particular have seen encouraging results, especially in economics – trade and culture – tourism.

By the end of June 2014, Hong Kong businesses poured over 13 billion USD in more than 800 projects in Vietnam, ranking sixth among countries and territories investing here, Trung added.

Hong Kong’s Financial Secretary John Tsang Chun Wah congratulated Vietnam on its progress and said the country is currently the fourth largest ASEAN trade partner of Hong Kong, which in turn is also Vietnam’s fourth biggest trade partner in the world.

Over the past five years, two-way trade has grown at an annual pace of some 29 percent, he said, adding that Hong Kong is negotiating a free trade agreement with ASEAN, in which Vietnam is an important member.

Also on September 5, the Vietnamese Embassy in Sri Lanka held a meeting in Rathnapura province marking National Day.

General Secretary of the Sri Lankan Communist Party Dew Gunasekara, who is also the Minister of Human Resources, expressed his admiration for Vietnam’s attainments in the past as well as at present.

Vietnamese Ambassador to Sri Lanka Phan Kieu Thu said there remain a lot of work to do to expand bilateral relations, particularly those regarding tourism, investment and trade.

She voiced her hope that the two sides’ relevant agencies will actively coordinate to remove bottlenecks in order to bring their ties to a new height.

The same day in Belgium’s capital of Brussels, the Vietnamese Embassy hosted a banquet in celebration of National Day.-VNA