Chinese Ambassador to Vietnam Xiong Bo (Photo: VNA)Hanoi (VNA) – Chinese Ambassador to Vietnam Xiong Bo has granted an interview to the press aboutthe State visit to Vietnam by General Secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and President of China Xi Jinping fromDecember 12-13.
Reporter: 2023 marks the 15th anniversary of the Vietnam-Chinacomprehensive strategic cooperative partnership. In recent years, the bilateralrelationship has maintained positive momentum. How do you comment on theprogress of ties between the two Parties and countries in recent years?
Ambassador Xiong Bo: First of all, I want to emphasise that the relationship betweenthe two Parties and two countries is very special. Both of our countriesare socialist nations led by the Communist Parties, and are friendly neighbours with contiguousmountains and rivers. It can be said that the two neighbouring countries full of the above-mentioned characteristics are rare in the world.
When we talk about the relationship between the two Parties and two countries,we cannot help remembering the historical ties between the two Parties and nations in the past. Since the mid-20th century, during the prolonged struggle for national independence andliberation, the two countries always stood shoulder to shoulder, jointly fought and supported each other, and formed a durable friendship. President HoChi Minh and President Mao Zedong made extremely important contributions to building astrong foundation for the friendship between the two countries.
"The Vietnam-China friendship is both comradeship and brotherhood," which vividly demonstrates therelationship between the two Parties and countries. This is also a statementmade by President Ho Chi Minh.
In recent years, under the strategic leadership of GeneralSecretary Xi Jinping and General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, the relationshipbetween the two Parties and countries, and the China-Vietnam comprehensive strategiccooperative partnership have continuously achieved new progress. Especiallylast year, right after the successful conclusion of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee Nguyen Phu Trongaccepted the invitation to visit China. General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong was the first foreign leader tobe invited to visit China, and this visit was very successful. It was also a visit of historical significance. The two Party General Secretaries reached common perceptions on the promotion of China-Vietnam relations to a newheight and defined the direction for the development of the bilateral relations inthe new period.
Political trust between the two sides has been deepenedfollowing General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong’s visit to China. This year, senior leaders of thetwo Parties and two countries have maintained close strategic exchanges.
President Vo Van Thuong travelled to China to attend the 3rd Beltand Road Forum for International Cooperation. Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinhvisited Tianjin to attend the World Economic Forum. In September, PM Pham Minh Chinh attendedthe China-ASEAN Expo, and permanent member of the CPV Central Committee'sSecretariat Truong Thi Mai visited China in April. Members of the CPV Central Committee's Politburo and leaders of Vietnamese localities alsovisited China.
Recently, Politburo member, Director of the Office of ForeignAffairs Commission of the CPC Central Committee andMinister of Foreign Affairs Wang Yi visited Vietnam and co-chaired the 15th meeting of the China-Vietnam Steering Committee for Bilateral Cooperation. Vice Chairman ofthe National Committee of the Chinese People's Political ConsultativeConference, Wang Yong also visited Vietnam.
The Secretaries of Party Committees of Chinese provinces and autonomous regions such as Guangxi, Yunnanand Hainan sequentially visited Vietnam.
Through high-level meetings and exchanges, leaders of the two sides exchanged views on important contents, learn from and consult with each other their experience in the Party building work and national management.
Trade and investment saw highlights in the relationship between the two countries.
The exchange and cooperation between the people of the twocountries are vibrant. After both sides relaxed their pandemic prevention policies,people-to-people exchange quickly resumed. In the first 11 months of this year,the number of Chinese tourists visiting Vietnam exceeded 1.5 million.
Overall, since last year, the relationship between the twoParties and countries has maintained a very positive and robust developmentmomentum. We are full of confidence in the development and future of the relationship.
Reporter: How does the upcoming visit hold significance to the bilateralties, Mr Ambassador?
Ambassador Xiong Bo: It is the third visit to Vietnam by comrade Xi Jinping since the end of the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China in November 2012 in hiscapacity as the Party General Secretary. It is a reciprocal visit following GeneralSecretary Nguyen Phu Trong's visit to China last year, and it marks the third mutual visitby leaders of the two Parties since 2015.
Theconsistent strategic leadership of the highest-ranking leaders of the two Parties isthe greatest advantage and fundamental assurance for the development of the China-Vietnam relations. Regarding the timing of the visit, we must considerthe current global context where unprecedented and rapidly evolving changes areoccurring. In various regions, wars and conflicts are taking place, and in East Asia, the current peaceful and stable situation is highly valuable.
Lookingat the internal situation of the two countries, currently, the socialistconstruction efforts of both countries are entering a new journey and a new stageof development. I believe that the highest leaders of the two Parties will have manyopinions to exchange on this matter.
The upcomingvisit presents a very important opportunity for leaders of both countries tomaintain and enhance strategic exchanges in the new situation, on the back ofthe solid foundation of the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership over the past15 years. It aims to determine the new position of the bilateral relations in the new era, set a new direction for furtherdevelopment, and open up new prospects for cooperation in various fields. Itwill create new momentum for the sustainable development of the China-Vietnamrelationship. In summary, it could be characterised as a new positioning, a newdirection and new momentum.
Reporter: Can you tell what contents leaders of the two Parties and the two countries will discuss and what important agreements will be signed during this visit?
Ambassador Xiong Bo: First of all, both Parties take the pursuit of happiness for the people and the pursuit of progress for humanity as their important tasks. Relating to these two important contents, the two sides will inform each other of the latest developments of their respective Party and State building process and join in-depth discussions to deepen and further elevate the bilateral comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership in the new era. As I mentioned, the two sides will clearly determine the development direction of the bilateral relations in the new situation.
Senior leaders of the two countries will also compare notes on a range of important issues, including how to further deepen political, security, and economic-trade cooperation, people-to-people exchange, and joint work in multilateral mechanisms.
It is expected that the two sides will sign dozens of important cooperation documents in areas such as cooperation via Party channel, cooperation between agencies and localities, security-defence, justice, communication, and development connection, economy, trade and investment, digital economy, green development, import and export of agricultural products, irrigation, and maritime cooperation.
Leaders of the two countries will discuss international and regional situations of mutual interest. Therefore, this visit by Communist Party of China General Secretary and President of China Xi Jinping will make an important contribution to maintaining peace, stability and development in the region as well as the world, and it will certainly receive widespread attention from the international community.
Reporter: The highest-level leaders of the two Parties and the two countries have always maintained close exchanges in recent times. What important role does this play in the development of relations between the two countries?
Ambassador Xiong Bo: As I have mentioned, persisting in the strategic leadership of the two Parties’ top leaders for the development of relations between the two Parties and the two countries is the greatest advantage and the most fundamental guarantee. I think that this is also important experience in maintaining the healthy, stable and sustainable development of bilateral relations in recent years.
It can be said that every exchange between General Secretary Xi Jinping and his Vietnamese counterpart Nguyen Phu Trong is an important exchange of ideas and strategies between the two great politicians, theorists, and strategists of contemporary Marxism, playing a decisive guiding role in the development of relations between the two Parties and the two countries.
The traditional friendship between China and Vietnam, which was built and nurtured by President Ho Chi Minh and President Mao Zedong, is said to be a valuable common asset of the two countries.
I think that the close friendship between the two countries’ Party chiefs is also a valuable common asset of the two peoples. Both sides are looking forward to the upcoming visit to Vietnam by the Chinese leader./.
