Beijing (VNA) - Along with the cultural similarities such as Chinese characters, Confucianism, and traditional customs and festivals, increasingly close tourism exchanges between China and Vietnam have served as effective tools to strengthen the relationship between the people of the two countries, according to a Chinese expert.
In her article posted on the Global Times of China, Liu Xiangyan, associate researcher of the Institute of International Studies at the China Tourism Academy, wrote that with the improvement of transportation networks and enhanced regional cooperation, the two countries have become each other's major markets of tourist sources.
She cited official statistics from both countries, showing that in 2024, Vietnam welcomed over 3.7 million Chinese tourists. In the first quarter of 2025, China surpassed the Republic of Korea to become Vietnam's largest source of foreign tourists.
The connection of rail and road networks at border crossings such as Hekou and Dongxing has significantly improved the efficiency of cross-border tourism. At these key border gates, new tourism routes for self-driving cars have been launched, allowing Chinese tourists to easily travel between two countries in one day. Additionally, with the resumption of the Beihai-Ha Long cruise route at the end of 2024, Chinese and Vietnamese tourists now have a new option to explore both countries by cruise.
On October 15, 2024, the Ban Gioc (Vietnam) - Detian (China) Waterfall site officially began operations, marking it the first cross-border tourism cooperation zone in China. It is expected to not only accumulate practical experience for other cross-border tourism zones but also continue to support the development of border tourism between the two countries, Liu wrote.
In addition, the two countries continue to optimise customs and visa policies. Thanks to more convenient customs procedures at many border crossings, the cross-border tourism market has remained vibrant. Last year, the number of people going through the Dongxing border gate exceeded 8.58 million, a year-on-year increase of 54.6%, making it the busiest border gate in the country.
On February 25, the Dongzhong (China)-Hoanh Mo (Vietnam) Port travel inspection channel officially opened, providing a new channel for cross-border tourism, economic and trade exchanges, and family visits.
Since February 10, China has implemented a visa exemption policy for ASEAN tourist groups entering Xishuangbanna, Yunnan. Along with the previous visa exemption policy for ASEAN tourist groups entering Guilin, Guangxi, Vietnamese tourists traveling in groups can now visit Guilin and Xishuangbanna, two popular tourist destinations, without the requirement for a visa.
Meanwhile, Vietnam introduced a visa exemption policy to foreign visitors to Phu Quoc Island in July 2020 and launched an e-visa system in August 2023. These measures have also enhanced the convenience for Chinese tourists entering Vietnam.
According to the author, 2025 marks the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Vietnam and is designated as the "China-Vietnam Year of Humanistic Exchanges." In the context of high political trust and closer economic and trade cooperation, cultural exchanges, especially those between the youth, have become more frequent. Many Chinese films and TV shows have become hot topics among young people in Vietnam, and an increasing number of Vietnamese pop songs are being widely shared on Chinese social media platforms.
The expert proposed the two countries strengthen cooperation in cultural and creative industries such as film, television, gaming, and music, to enhance mutual understanding between the two countries' people and strengthen broader public connections./.

See more

Argentine media hails Vietnam's economic development, diplomatic strategy
With effective governance and an open economy, Vietnam is poised to continue asserting itself as a reliable and dynamic player within ASEAN in the years to come, according to Argentine website El Tiempo.

Thai PM announces comprehensive support plan for fruit farmers
The initiative involves direct procurement from farmers through four key channels, namely purchase with intent to distribute domestically, corporate social responsibility initiatives, purchase for consumption in organisations, and procurement by government agencies like the Department of Corrections.

Indonesia’s rice reserve set to hit record 4 million tonnes
To support rice production, the government has ramped up fertiliser subsidies, distributed agricultural machinery, accelerated planting schedules, and introduced digital tools for farming.

President Ho Chi Minh – symbol of revolutionary heroism: Thai scholar
President Ho Chi Minh wholeheartedly dedicated his service to the country and people, placing national interests above anything. He demonstrated a simple lifestyle, humility, eagerness to learn, willingness to listen to opinions, and closeness to the people.

Indonesia builds AI model for malaria diagnosis
The National Research and Innovation Agency of Indonesia (BRIN) is developing an artificial intelligence (AI) tool to support malaria diagnosis, toward warding off the disease by 2030.

Indonesia determined to revamp deteriorating school infrastructure
The initiative is backed by a 16.9 trillion IDR (approximately 1.02 billion USD) budget and seeks to address widespread infrastructure deterioration in the national education system.

Malaysia’s maritime sector struggling due to new US tariff policy: expert
If the US continues to impose a high tariff after a 90-day postponement, importers with deep pockets in Malaysia will pay the extra tariffs in addition to additional levies, but small companies without sizeable cash or liquidity will not pick up the goods and will leave them stranded at ports.

Thailand ends search operation at Bangkok earthquake-hit building
Search teams have recovered 89 bodies, while seven people have remained missing and nine others injured.

Thailand sends trade proposal to US
Thailand is among the Southeast Asian nations hardest hit by measures introduced by US President Donald Trump, facing a tariff of up to 36% on its exports if a reduction cannot be negotiated before a global moratorium expires in July.

Philippine volcano erupts, spewing ash plume into the sky
Kanlaon Volcano, one of the 24 active volcanoes in the Southeast Asian nation, has had several eruptions in the past century – the most recent of which happened in April.

Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte wins mayoral election in Davao
Preliminary results from the Commission on Elections (Comelec) show Duterte leading with approximately 405,000 votes, significantly ahead of his closest rival, who garnered around 49,000 votes.

Malaysia, RoK hold 9th round of FTA negotiations
The latest round of talks for an FTA is scheduled to kick off in Kuala Lumpur for a three-day run, involving some 70 trade officials from the two countries.

ASEAN Secretary-General urges stronger ties with external partners to address global trade challenges
ASEAN Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn has urged New Zealand and ASEAN to work closely to ensure that shifting trade dynamics do not undermine the rules-based multilateral trading system both sides support.

Indonesia committed to promoting ATIGA Upgrade
The upgrade seeks to modernise the the ASEAN Trade in Goods Agreement (ATIGA) framework, making it more facilitative for businesses and responsive to regional and global challenges.

Malaysia pushes for joint ASEAN efforts on green energy financing
A study by the International Renewable Energy Agency estimated that ASEAN will need around 29.4 trillion USD by 2050 to fully transition to renewables and most of which remains unfunded.

Malaysia works hard to expand semiconductor ecosystem
According to Ben Simpfendorfer, head of the consultancy Oliver Wyman Forum, said Malaysia could explore potential areas such as solar panel manufacturing, battery storage systems, and clean energy products.

Thailand, Australia enhance sustainable and stable regional trade
One of significant topics in their discussion was Australia’s New Vehicle Efficiency Standard (NVES), a framework promoting low- and zero-emission vehicles. The standard is effective from January 1, with enforcement beginning on July 1.

Malaysia – EU FTA expected to promote ASEAN – EU ties
The EU hopes that the agreement will replicate the success of the EU-Vietnam FTA, which has helped bilateral trade grow strongly since it came into force in 2020.

Thailand: Covid resurgence ‘no cause for alarm’
From January 1 to May 10, up to 53,676 COVID-19 cases and 16 deaths have been reported in Thailand. Bangkok recorded the most infections with 16,723 cases, peaking during the week of April 27 to May 3 at 14,349 cases, including two deaths.

Malaysia a prime site for nuclear plants: expert
He said locating nuclear power plants in less tectonically active parts of Southeast Asia, such as Malaysia, would be a more logical approach.