Xi Jinping's visit: New momentum for Vietnam-China relations

According to the announcement of the Party Central Committee's Foreign Affairs Commission, General Secretary and President Xi Jinping and his wife will pay a State visit to Vietnam from December 12-13, 2023.

The visit attracted special attention from experts and researchers on relations between the two countries.

Vietnam-China relations are developing in the right direction.

According to experts, the visit of General Secretary and President of China Xi Jinping will leave a remarkable mark, an important highlight on the occasion of the 15th anniversary of the Vietnam-China Comprehensive Strategic Cooperative Partnership (2008-2023).

Dr. Dao Ngoc Bau, Deputy Director in charge of the Institute of International Relations, Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics, emphasized that in 2008, the two countries established a framework for a Comprehensive Strategic Cooperative Partnership.

This is a particularly important event, because China is the first country with which Vietnam has established a Comprehensive Strategic Cooperative Partnership; Vietnam is the first Southeast Asian country with which China has established this relationship framework.

That is the driving force that has pushed the relationship between the two countries into a new stage of development, towards the future. Over the past 15 years, the two countries have achieved many achievements in all fields.

In the bilateral cooperation, Dr. Dao Ngoc Bau is interested in theoretical exchange cooperation between the two Parties.

According to Dr. Dao Ngoc Bau, the Communist Party of Vietnam and the Communist Party of China attach special importance to exchanging experiences and theoretical cooperation. Even during the years when the world was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, the two countries still held theoretical seminars online.

Theoretical exchanges between the two Parties and two countries have received close attention and direction from the two Party leaders, General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and General Secretary and President of China Xi Jinping.

That shows the importance and great significance of this activity. It can be seen that this is a unique and exemplary activity in the cooperative relationship between two political parties in the world, demonstrating the spirit of seeking knowledge, learning from each other, and sharing experiences for development.

"The exchange of theories between the two Parties and States is also sharing lessons and experiences with each other, contributing to the development of Marxism and shaping a model of effective cooperation and solidarity between the two political parties in the world," said Dr. Dao Ngoc Bau.

Mr. Nguyen Vinh Quang, Vice President of the Vietnam-China Friendship Association, former Minister-Deputy Ambassador of Vietnam to China, is an in-depth researcher on China and Vietnam-China relations.

He said that Vietnam-China relations are developing favorably. After the COVID-19 pandemic, exchange activities and delegation exchanges have been restored, starting with General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong's visit to China (October 30 - November 1, 2022).

The visit was of great significance, one could say historic, opening a new phase for the relationship between the two countries and resolving a number of difficult issues between the two countries. After the visit, many high-ranking leaders, ministries, sectors and localities of the two countries had contact and interacted with each other.

"In such a short period of time, such exchanges, meetings and contacts are rare. Because both sides have recognized the significance of General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong's visit, and realized that the relationship between the two countries is at its most favorable stage of development," said Mr. Nguyen Vinh Quang.

Mr. Nguyen Vinh Quang added: "Not only politics and diplomacy but also economics, trade, people-to-people exchanges... are also enhanced and promoted. And it is a coincidence that 2023 is the year the two countries celebrate the 15th anniversary of the Comprehensive Strategic Cooperative Partnership (2008-2023). Looking back, we can see that the relationship between the two countries is developing in the right direction and the framework established by the two countries' senior leaders 15 years ago is very accurate."

The visit opened up many new cooperative relationships.

Emphasizing that this is the third time that General Secretary and President of China Xi Jinping has visited Vietnam, Mr. Nguyen Vinh Quang said that since the normalization of relations, this is the first time that a General Secretary and President of China has visited Vietnam three times.

This visit by General Secretary and President of China Xi Jinping takes place just over a year after the historic visit to China by General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong (October 2022).

"That visit was very successful with a 13-point Joint Statement, widely reported by the media, both countries and the world. The agreements reached between the two General Secretaries last year are being implemented very well. This time, the senior leaders met again, I think that the relationship between the two countries is already good, and will be better," Mr. Nguyen Vinh Quang shared and expressed: "I, like many Vietnamese people, hope that the visit will have good results, bringing benefits to the people of both countries. I think that the two countries will be able to reach new agreements or more specifically implement existing agreements into reality."

Sharing the same opinion with Mr. Nguyen Vinh Quang, Dr. Dao Ngoc Bau said that the upcoming third visit to Vietnam by General Secretary and President Xi Jinping shows that the relationship between the two Parties, two States and peoples of the two countries is developing very well, demonstrating the true spirit of "friendly neighbors, comprehensive cooperation, long-term stability, and looking towards the future."

According to Dr. Dao Ngoc Bau, on the Chinese side, since 2012, General Secretary and President Xi Jinping has put forth the neighboring diplomatic viewpoint of "friendship, sincerity, kindness, and tolerance."

This was reiterated at the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, taking place in October 2022. The upcoming visit of General Secretary and President of China Xi Jinping is one of the activities to realize this foreign policy.

For Vietnam, the visit of the head of the Chinese Party and State to Vietnam shows that Vietnam's position and prestige in the international arena are increasingly enhanced. Vietnam always attaches importance to the friendly relationship with China in all three aspects of Party diplomacy, State diplomacy and people-to-people diplomacy.

"The visit of General Secretary and President of China Xi Jinping will contribute to affirming and consolidating the long-standing friendship and tradition between the two countries and peoples, certainly opening up many new cooperative relationships in the future, as well as elevating existing relationships in an increasingly deeper and more substantial direction, contributing to the development of the two countries, for peace and stability in the region and the world," Dr. Dao Ngoc Bau commented.

Dr. Dao Ngoc Bau further analyzed that the visit of the General Secretary and President of China will create new momentum to promote bilateral economic and trade cooperation to develop in a balanced and sustainable direction.

Along with that, people-to-people exchange, cultural, scientific and educational exchanges between the two countries will become increasingly more substantial and effective, thereby consolidating the tradition of friendship between the two nations and peoples, as President Ho Chi Minh once said during his lifetime: "Vietnam-China friendship will last forever".