By Xiong Bo

Both China and Vietnam are socialist countries led by communist parties. Connected by mountains and rivers, they have shared ideals, the same social system and similar paths of development. They enjoy broad common interests.

The two sides have fought side by side and offered mutual support to each other in the struggle for national independence and liberation, learned from each other and made joint efforts in exploring socialist development paths suited to their own national conditions and modernization paths with their own characteristics.

The traditional friendship between the two countries forged and cultivated by the older-generation leaders of the two parties and the two countries, represented by Comrade Mao Zedong and Comrade Ho Chi Minh, has grown ever stronger with the passage of time.

Sharing the same ideals and a shared future are the most salient features of China-Vietnam relations, and the traditional friendship featuring “camaraderie plus brotherhood” between China and Vietnam is the most vivid illustration of China-Vietnam relations.

Under the strategic guidance of Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and Nguyen Phu Trong, general secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee, the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership between the two countries have been constantly deepened and expanded. The two sides have reached important consensus on elevating their bilateral relations, and the China-Vietnam ties are facing important opportunities for development.

China and Vietnam have maintained frequent high-level exchanges and continuously deepened political mutual trust.

Following the successful conclusion of the 20th CPC National Congress, Xi immediately extended an invitation to Trong for a visit to China. The two leaders reached new and important consensus on consolidating the traditional friendship between China and Vietnam, strengthening strategic coordination and deepening mutually beneficial cooperation, charting the course for the development of China-Vietnam ties in the new era.

This year, over 10 members of the Political Bureau and Secretaries of the Secretariat of the CPV Central Committee have visited China, including President of Vietnam Vo Van Thuong, Prime Minister of Vietnam Pham Minh Chinh, and permanent member of the CPV Central Committee Secretariat Truong Thi Mai, maintaining close strategic communication with China’s Party and state leaders.

The communication and cooperation between departments and regions of both sides have become increasingly close, and the exchange of experiences in party and state governance continues to deepen. As emerging economies and developing countries, China and Vietnam should join hands to uphold international fairness and justice, practice true multilateralism, and make significant contributions to the peace, development, and progress of mankind.

China and Vietnam have reaped fruitful results in practical cooperation, and their mutually beneficial cooperation is also generating good outcomes.

Leveraging their geographical proximity and complementarity of industries, the two countries have accelerated synergizing the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and the Two Corridors and One Economic Circle strategy. They have worked together to build production capacity cooperation platforms, advance cooperation in key areas such as connectivity, green energy and digital transformation, and maintain smooth and stable production and supply chains.

China and Vietnam have continuously deepened their economic and trade cooperation. China has maintained the largest trading partner and a major source of investment for Vietnam for years.

In the first 10 months of this year, the number of China-invested projects in Vietnam ranked first among all foreign investment projects in the country, with investment amount increasing by 98 percent year on year.

Projects built by Chinese companies, such as the Cat Linh-Ha Dong metro line in Hanoi and the Soc Son waste-to-energy plant, have been put into operation. Chinese photovoltaic companies are also developing fast in Vietnam. These projects have contributed significantly to Vietnam’s economic and social development.

China and Vietnam have continuously deepened people-to-people and cultural exchanges, resulting in a vibrant people-to-people friendship.

The two sides have remained true to their original aspiration, vigorously promoted their traditional friendship, and engaged in flexible and diverse people-to-people exchange activities.

Trong noted that the Friendship Pass is the only cross-border port in the world named after the word “friendship,” which embodies the special traditional friendship featuring “camaraderie plus brotherhood” between the Vietnamese and Chinese people.

Confucius Institutes and the China Cultural Center are running smoothly in Vietnam; the border residents gala and the friendly exchange between the national and local committees of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference and the Vietnam Fatherland Front have resumed; the China-Vietnam People’s Forum and the China-Vietnam Youth Friendship Meeting have garnered wide support.

The two countries are sending more students to each other. In the 2021-2022 academic year, over 27,000 Vietnamese students studied in China. The personnel exchange between the two countries also recovered rapidly, with more than 1.3 million Chinese tourists visiting Vietnam in the January-October period this year. As the two countries pick up speed to resume direct flights, there will be vast potential in their tourism cooperation.

It is a natural result that China and Vietnam have agreed to further deepen their comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership as they mark the 15th anniversary of the establishment of the relationship.

This is in line with the common aspirations and interests of both countries, and is good for regional and global peace and development, and will pave the way for a brighter future in the two countries’ bilateral relationship.

We are ready to work together with Vietnam, follow the strategic guidance of the top leaders of both parties, continuously consolidate political mutual trust, deepen mutually beneficial cooperation, foster people-to-people friendship, and work to deepen and substantiate the comprehensive strategic cooperation between China and Vietnam.

Let the ship of China-Vietnam friendship brave the wind and waves, and set sail for distant horizons!

(Xiong Bo is the Chinese ambassador to Vietnam.)