A number of bilateral cooperation documents between relevant agencies of border provinces of Vietnam and China have been signed in Kunming city, the Chinese province of Yunnan , on June 3.

The documents were reached at the 4th session of the joint working group of between the border provinces of Lao Cai, Ha Giang, Lai Chau and Dien Bien of Vietnam and Yunnan province of China , in the witness of Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Thien Nhan and Governor of Yunnan Li Jiheng.

Addressing the opening session on June 3, Deputy Prime Minister Nhan highlighted the achievements in the two countries’ friendship and comprehensive cooperation.

Two-way trade between Vietnam and China reached nearly 36 billion USD in 2011, a year-on-year increase of 30 percent. The figure was 8.4 billion USD in the first quarter of this year, up 16 percent over the same period last year.

The cooperation in all areas between the Vietnamese provinces and Yunnan province also developed strongly, bringing practical benefit to local people and contributing to building the two countries’ borderline of peace, friendship, cooperation and development.

The Deputy PM urged parties to focus on the implementation of main contents such as maintaining regular meeting and contacts between the four Vietnamese border provinces and Yunnan province, boosting cooperation in economics, trade, tourism and investment as well as coordination in building a borderline of peace, friendship and development.

Governor Li said Vietnam has been Yunnan ’s second largest trading partner for five consecutive years with bilateral trade reaching 12.1 billion USD in 2011, up 27.7 percent year on year.

He said he hopes after the session, both sides will complete their mechanism on cooperation and exchange in order to expand bilateral relations in a more substantial manner.

Established in 2007, the joint working group of Lao Cai, Ha Giang, Lai Chau and Dien Bien of Vietnam and the Chinese province of Yunnan aims to promote and boost cooperation in economics, trade and investment between the localities.-VNA