Hanoi (VNA) – Member of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Hoai Trung held talks with member of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee and Chairman of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region Wei Tao in Hanoi on November 25.
Trung appreciated the fact that Wei and many Guangxi leaders have chosen Vietnam as their first destination immediately after assuming their new positions, demonstrating Guangxi’s consistent importance placed on its relations with Vietnam.
He affirmed that within the overall relationship between the two Parties and the two countries, Vietnam always supports and creates all favourable conditions for ministries, sectors and localities to further strengthen exchanges and cooperation with Chinese localities, especially those with traditional friendship and close ties with Vietnam such as Guangxi.
Wei expressed his sincere thanks for the warm reception from the minister and other leaders of Vietnam’s ministries, sectors, and localities, and conveyed his sympathies to the Vietnamese people affected by storms and floods. Trung expressed appreciation for the Chinese Government’s recent decision to provide 500,000 USD in support to help Vietnam overcome the consequences of natural disasters.
Both sides agreed that along with the strong and positive development of relations between the two Parties and the two countries, exchanges and cooperation between Vietnam and Guangxi have achieved many good results in recent times. Notably, exchanges of delegations at all levels have been maintained regularly; economic and trade cooperation remains a major highlight, with bilateral trade turnover reaching about 42 billion USD in 2024, up 16.4% year-on-year. Vietnam has been Guangxi’s largest trading partner for 26 consecutive years. The two sides have also maintained close coordination in land border management, while people-to-people exchanges and cooperation in culture, education, and tourism have also produced numerous practical results.
To further strengthen exchanges and collaboration in the coming time, the Vietnamese official proposed both sides continue to effectively implement existing cooperation mechanisms; expand collaboration in various fields, particularly accelerating infrastructure connectivity, increasing imports of goods, especially Vietnamese agricultural products; and closely coordinate in piloting a smart border gate model.
Trung expressed the hope that the two sides will make breakthrough progress in science and technology cooperation, particularly in artificial intelligence; expand scholarship granting and support Vietnamese students to study and conduct research in Guangxi; create favourable conditions for Vietnamese citizens residing in the region; and encourage capable Guangxi enterprises to invest in major and signature projects in Vietnam, especially in green agriculture, clean energy, and sustainable development.
The minister also proposed that both sides continue maintain close coordination in managing the land border while effectively implementing the three legal documents on the land boundary and related agreements. It is equally important for them to actively exchange information and appropriately handle issues arising along the border, and work together to ensure the safe and efficient operation of the Ban Gioc-Detian Waterfalls scenic area, thereby attracting more visitors to this beautiful landmark.
Agreeing with Trung’s proposals, Wei affirmed that Guangxi attaches great importance to cooperation with Vietnamese ministries, sectors and localities, and stands ready to effectively implement the common perceptions reached by the high-ranking leaders of the two Parties and countries, contributing practically to the Comprehensive Strategic Cooperative Partnership and the building of a Vietnam – China community with a shared future that carries strategic significance.
Wei also highlighted several concrete proposals to deepen cooperation across ministries, agencies, and localities between Vietnam and Guangxi, including the expectation that Vietnamese Party and State leaders will visit Guangxi as part of their official trips to China in 2026.
He suggested the two sides work together to successfully organise the 2026 spring meeting in the Chinese side between the Guangxi Party Committee Secretary and the Party Committee Secretaries of Quang Ninh, Lang Son, Cao Bang, Tuyen Quang and Hai Phong; advance cooperation in AI, smart border gate development, and infrastructure connectivity; and strengthen joint emergency rescue and disaster response efforts in border areas.
It is also necessary to promote bilateral cultural and tourism cooperation and humanistic exchanges, the visiting official added./.
