Beijing (VNA) – As socialist countries under the leadership of the Communist Party and share many similarities, China and Vietnam should seize this opportunity to maintain solidarity and strengthen cooperation so as to move forward together, Lin Liwen, a Chinese friendship figure, has said.
In a recent interview granted to the Vietnam News Agency's correspondents in Beijing on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two nations (January 18, 1950 - 2025) and the “Year of Vietnam-China Humanistic Exchange,” Lin said Vietnam and China should work closely together to organise cultural and tourism exchange activities, and increase mutual visits by delegations and friendship associations to enhance understanding between their people.
The two nations should also seek ways to expand trade ties, support each other in speeding up border economic development, and further foster cooperation in the fields of health care, education, electricity trade, and infrastructure development, he added.
Lin mentioned frequent visits made by the two countries’ senior leaders in recent times, including the historic visit of Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong to China in 2022, the visit of Party General Secretary and President of China Xi Jinping to Vietnam in 2023, and Party General Secretary and State President To Lam’s trip to China in August 2024. He said that all of these reflected the high regard that senior leaders of both countries placed on the bilateral relations, as well as the importance of China-Vietnam cooperative ties.
As two friendly neighboring countries with geographical proximity - mountains connected to mountains, rivers linked to rivers - maintaining close and good neighbourliness will ensure stability and mutual development for both nations, he stressed.
Lin recalled his visit to Vietnam in May 2024 on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the Dien Bien Phu Victory, stating that the Southeast Asian nation’s rapid and robust development left a deep impression on him. The warm and thoughtful hospitality from the Vietnamese side, along with the closeness and friendliness of the Vietnamese people, made him feel as if he was in his country rather than abroad, he stressed.
Lin is a son of Lin Juncai, a medical advisor of the Chinese military advisory group. During his time assisting Vietnam in its resistance against the French colonials, his father participated in major campaigns and the decisive battle of Dien Bien Phu Victory. Lin Juncai, along with the Vietnamese army, built a comprehensive healthcare system, trained a large number of healthcare personnel, supported the organisation and implementation of wartime medical services, and provided medical treatment to wounded soldiers, making important contributions to Vietnam's struggle for independence and national liberation./.
