On June 8, 2021, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with Vietnamese Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son in Chongqing.
Wang Yi said, China-Vietnam relations have maintained a momentum of sound and stable development. Leaders of the two parties and the two countries have maintained close communication, worked together to steer China-Vietnam relations and made important plans for deepening exchanges and cooperation in various fields. The trade volume between China and Vietnam in the first four months of this year exceeded 70 billion U.S. dollars, with a year-on-year growth rate of over 40 percent, which fully demonstrates the huge cooperation potential of bilateral economic and trade and reflects the high level of good-neighborly relations between the two countries.
Wang Yi said, at present, the international and regional situation is undergoing profound changes. In the context of the great changes and the once-in-a-century pandemic, there are both opportunities and challenges. China is ready to work with Vietnam to carry forward the traditional friendship, enhance strategic mutual trust and deepen pragmatic cooperation in accordance with the directions specified by the top leaders of the two parties and the two countries, so that the fruits of bilateral relations will bring more benefits to the two peoples and better serve the economic and social development of the two countries. It's the fundamental attributes and core goals of the relations between the two parties and the two countries to uphold the leadership of the Communist Party and promote the cause of socialism. The two sides should transform the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two parties and the two countries into the common will and conscious actions of the two peoples to build a solid foundation for the sound and stable development of China-Vietnam relations. China firmly supports the new leadership of the Communist Party of Vietnam's efforts on governance and supports Vietnam in pursuing a socialist path that suits its national conditions. The two sides should take concrete actions to support each other's important political agenda, safeguard and expand common interests, push the relations between the two parties and the two countries and the cause of socialism to a new stage and open up new prospects.
Wang Yi said, China is willing to strengthen cooperation with Vietnam in the fight against COVID-19, and supports Chinese pharmaceutical enterprises to cooperate with Vietnam in vaccine research and development, production and procurement. The two sides should provide convenience for citizens of the two countries to get vaccinated in each other's countries and strengthen joint border prevention and control to build a common defense against the pandemic. China is ready to expand port cooperation with Vietnam and import more marketable agricultural products from Vietnam. The two sides should fully tap into the complementary strengths and push for substantive progress in the construction of the Belt and Road and cross-border economic cooperation zones.
Bui Thanh Son warmly congratulated the CPC on the 100th anniversary of its founding, and spoke highly of the great achievements made by the Chinese people under the leadership of the CPC. Bui Thanh Son said, China, as a major country and a permanent member of the UN Security Council, has great influence in the region and the world at large. Vietnam supports China's development and its important role in safeguarding world peace and development. As friendly neighbor like comrade and brother, Vietnam always takes developing the relations between the two parties and the two countries as its firm choice and diplomatic priority. China has had more contacts with Vietnam than any other country since the 13th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam, which fully demonstrates the closeness and strategy of the two countries. Vietnam will continue to firmly push forward Vietnam-China friendship, constantly consolidate political mutual trust, deepen mutually beneficial cooperation in economy, trade, anti-pandemic, cultural and people-to-people exchanges, and local levels to push for sustained and sound development of the relations between the two parties and the two countries. Vietnam supports elevating the strategic position of ASEAN-China relations, and is ready to work with China to drive forward the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation and enhance coordination and cooperation in such multilateral institutions as the United Nations.
The two sides also exchanged in-depth views on international and regional issues of common concern.