HCMCity (VNA) – Leaders of Ho Chi Minh City and China’s ShanghaiCity held a virtual meeting on December 18 to discuss ways to further promote bilateralcooperation.

At themeeting with Deputy Secretary of the Communist Party of China Shanghai Municipal Committee Yu Shaoliang, Deputy Secretary of the HCMCity Party Committee Nguyen Ho Hai said the virtual meeting showed the two cities’determination and desire to maintain their friendship and cooperation.

Hai expected that both Vietnam and China, including HCM City and Shanghai, will make the most of the RegionalComprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) agreement signed at the 37th ASEAN Summit to further bolster their bilateral relations.

Briefinghis counterpart on the outcomes of HCM City’s 11th Party Congress and itsdevelopment orientations, Hai expressed his hope that the two cities will together organiseshort-term training courses for their officials and public servants, and strengthencoordination in the areas of mutual interest such as finance, smart citydevelopment and innovation.

Yu, for his part, thanked HCM City for its support to Shanghai over the past years. Hesaid he wants the two cities will further reinforce their partnership andnurture the friendship and cooperation between the two nations in the coming time.

He updated Hai on Shanghai’s socio-economic development situation, including the fight against COVID-19, and spoke highly of Vietnam’s successfulcontainment of the pandemic.

Yu proposed the two sides to step up cooperation in traditional fields, includingeconomy, trade, urban management, and culture, and increase exchanges ofofficials and youths.

Additionally,he urged both sides to develop and effectively implement cooperation programmesin trade, economy, monetary management and experience sharing in Partybuilding, personnel management and anti-corruption./.