Professor Xu Liping, Director of the Centre for Southeast Asian Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. (Photo: VNA) In an interview granted to the Vietnam News Agency ahead of the visit from December 12-13, Professor Xu Liping, Director of the Centre for Southeast Asian Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, stressed that the bilateral relationship is at an important development period.
Recalling the visit to China by General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee Nguyen Phu Trong last year, the professor emphasised that Trong was the first foreign leader to visit China after the 20th National Congress of the CPC, reflecting the importance and specific characteristics of the bilateral ties.
Following the visit, the relationship has made marked strides, he said, elaborating that mutual political trust has been enhanced, economic-trade cooperation has kept growing, and China’s investment in Vietnam has increased constantly.
The scholar also highlighted people-to-people and cultural exchanges, and collaboration in sports, culture and education, with the number of Chinese tourists to Vietnam surpassing 1.3 million in the first 10 months of this year.
President Ho Chi Minh and Chinese President Mao Zedong in 1960. (Photo: VNA) Xi’s visit is also making headlines in China, including articles published by Xinhua News Agency and Global Times.
In an article published on December 7, Xinhua said Xi’s visit will consolidate and promote the bilateral cooperation, tighten the friendship between people of the two countries, and create momentum for the relationship.
The article also commended the traditional friendship, saying the two Parties and States have maintained high-level meetings and contacts, and the two countries are expected to further discuss issues regarding national management and modernisation.
Vietnam and China have reaped achievements in cooperation in economy, trade, investment and infrastructure construction, it said, adding that China has been Vietnam’s biggest trade partner for many consecutive years, and Vietnam is China’s largest trade partner in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
The article held that the two countries will enhance people-to-people exchanges to promote their friendship in the time ahead.
Global Times on December 10 also ran an article pointing to huge cooperation potential in economy and trade.
According to the article, at the 12th meeting of the Vietnam-China Economic and Trade Cooperation Committee in November, the two sides agreed on measures to raise the quality and efficiency of collaboration in this field./.
VNA
