Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong (L) is welcomed by Chinese Party General Secretary and President Xi Jinping during his visit to China in 2017. (Photo: VNA)

Hanoi (VNA) – China will work together with Vietnam to preserve the traditional friendship, deepen the comprehensive strategic cooperation between the two countries, protect common strategic interests and promote the bilateral relationship, Chinese Ambassador Xiong Bo has affirmed.

In an interview granted to the Vietnam News Agency (VNA) on the occasion of the Lunar New Year, the ambassador said despite impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, the China-Vietnam comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership continued to be promoted strongly last year.

♒ He highlighted that Vietnam's cause of socialism building had overcome numerous difficulties in 2021 to advance firmly forward. He noted the successful organisation of the 13th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) which elected the country's new leadership and set strategic goals towards the 100th founding anniversary of the CPV in 2030 and the 100th anniversary of the establishment of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam in 2045.

Chinese Ambassador to Vietnam Xiong Bo (Photo: VNA)

The ambassador said following the 13th National Party Congress, Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong wrote an important article emphasising the historic inevitability of the path towards socialism chosen by Vietnam.

The article helps strengthen the bond between the CPV and the army and people, and sends the clear political message of Vietnam’s persistently pursuing the path towards socialism in accordance with its situation, according to the diplomat.

Ambassador Xiong Bo stressed that facing complex developments of the pandemic, the Vietnamese Party and Government have followed the motto of putting people at the centre and worked to complete the dual goals of pandemic containment and socio-economic development.

🅠 Vietnam has quickly rolled out a large-scale vaccination programme, and launched economic and social welfare packages in a timely manner, while striving to maintain the macro-economic stability.

Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son (R) greets and holds talks with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi in Hanoi on September 11, 2021. (Photo: VNA)

As a result, the country’s GDP last year grew 2.58 percent, exports rose to a new record, its trade surplus had been maintained for six consecutive years and foreign investments reached about 31 billion USD, reflecting the national economy’s resilience and potential, the ambassador said.

Vietnam has persistently pursued the foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, diversification and multilateralisation of relations, he said, noting that the country has successfully fulfilled its non-permanent membership of the United Nations Security Council.

He underlined Vietnam’s vaccine diplomacy along with economic and people-to-people diplomacy in efforts to maintain a peaceful and stable environment to ensure socio-economic development, and raise its position in the international arena.

As Vietnam's socialist neighbour, China is delighted at the achievements the Vietnamese Party and State recorded last year, and will continue to support Vietnam in following the path towards socialism, Xiong Bo affirmed, expressing his belief that under the Party and Government leadership, Vietnam will soon drive back the pandemic, ensure stable economic growth and firmly advance towards the goal of building a developed socialist country.

⛄ The ambassador went on to say that under the strategic direction of the top leaders of the two Parties, the Vietnam-China relationship had maintained its development pace last year, with great progress made in major fields of cooperation. He noted that during their phone talks, Chinese Party General Secretary and President of China Xi Jinping and Vietnamese Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong outlined orientations to consolidate and deepen the bilateral ties in the new period.

Vietnamese Health Minister Tran Thanh Long (fourth from left), Chinese Ambassador to Vietnam Xiong Bo (third from right), along with diplomatic representatives in front of the containers storing China-donated Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine which arrived at Hanoi's Noi Bai International Airport on June 20, 2021. (Photo: VNA)

Leaders of the two Parties and countries have maintained online exchanges and visits, he said, adding that the two sides held in-depth discussions on the materialisation of common perceptions reached by the top leaders of the two Parties, along with measures to promote mutually beneficial cooperation across spheres and protect shared strategic interests.

According to the ambassador, Vietnam and China have also supported each other in major political agendas and the two Parties have stepped up the exchange of experience in Party building and national construction. Both sides have expressed their resolve to continue on the path towards socialism.

He highlighted that during the COVID-19 combat, China has stood side by side with Vietnam and provided 5.2 million doses of vaccines for the neighbour in the forms of donation and trading. The health sectors of the two countries shared experience in pandemic fighting and set up coordination mechanisms for disease prevention in border areas.  

For economic and trade ties, the ambassador cited statistics from the Chinese side showing that two-way trade surpassed 230 billion USD last year, up 19 percent. China is Vietnam’s biggest trade partner and second biggest importer. Meanwhile, Vietnam is China’s sixth largest trade partner.

Vietnam’s statistics also reveal that China is the country’s third biggest investor, he continued, adding that the Cat Linh-Ha Dong urban railway in Hanoi built with preferential loans from the Chinese Government has been officially put into operation.

Vietnamese and Chinese ministries and localities have closely coordinated to tackle obstacles in customs clearance at border gates for traded goods.

The ambassador noted that the two countries have enhanced coordination in multilateral issues, and actively worked to promote a comprehensive strategic partnership between China and ASEAN as well as to ensure the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership agreement take effect as schedule, benefiting economic recovery in the region.

He stressed that 2022 is a year of great importance to both countries and to their relations. Vietnam will continue implementing the resolution adopted at the 13th National Party Congress, firmly marching towards the 100th founding anniversary of the CPV in 2030 and the 100th anniversary of the establishment of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam in 2045.

China will also hold the 20th Party Congress, towards successfully and comprehensively building a modern socialist power, he noted.

Chinese President Xi Jinping has proposed a Global Development Initiative, with a focus on its connectivity with the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, covering poverty reduction, epidemic prevention and control, green development and connectivity, matching the situation in developing countries, the diplomat said.

China is maintaining its good economic growth pace, he continued, adding that the country’s GDP grew 8.1 percent last year, fulfilling the dual goals of high growth and low inflation.

☂ China stands ready to help Vietnam in economic recovery and development post COVID-19, and work together with Vietnam to utilise advantages in road and sea connectivity, perfect mutually beneficial cooperation frameworks, ensure the stable and smooth operation of production and supply chains, and promote development in each nation, for the sake of the two countries’ people, he affirmed./.