Shanghai (VNA) 🌱– Vietnam always values and supports cooperation between its ministries, sectors, and localities and their Chinese counterparts, including Shanghai, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh affirmed during his meeting with Chen Jining, Secretary of the Shanghai Municipal Committee of the Communist Party of China, on June 26.

Congratulating the Shanghai Party Committee, authorities, and people on their achievements in socio-economic development, PM Chinh highlighted the city’s leading role in China’s modernisation, scientific and technological innovation, and reform policy implementation. The PM briefed the host on Vietnam’s major development orientations, including administrative reform at the local level, national strategies for science and technology, innovation, digital transformation, international integration, streamlining of the political system, and fostering the private sector as a driver of growth in the new era. Appreciating Shanghai’s successful development model and vast cooperation potential, PM Chinh proposed the city enhance exchanges with Vietnamese localities, particularly Ho Chi Minh City. He called for deeper, result-oriented cooperation in trade, investment, and strategic development — especially in sectors where Shanghai has strengths and Vietnam has demand, such as transport infrastructure, smart and green cities, and innovation. The PM also expressed interest in sharing experience in key issues, including state-owned economic development, building international financial centres and free trade zones, and tackling urban challenges such as environmental pollution and traffic congestion. PM Chinh urged Shanghai to further open its market to Vietnamese goods, facilitate Vietnamese firms’ participation in its international trade and tourism promotion activities, and boost cooperation in tourism, culture, sports, and personnel training. He also called for more scholarships for Vietnamese students to study at Shanghai’s top universities. He affirmed that Vietnam welcomes and stands ready to support Shanghai businesses in expanding investment in the country.

For his part, Chen welcomed the positive progress in China – Vietnam relations, noting fruitful outcomes in cooperation between Shanghai and Vietnamese localities. In 2024, bilateral trade reached over 18.6 billion USD, with notable progress in investment, science and technology, personnel training, tourism, and people-to-people exchanges. He affirmed Shanghai’s readiness to work closely with Vietnamese ministries and localities to implement common perceptions reached by Party General Secretary and President of China Xi Jinping and Vietnam's Party General Secretary To Lam, as well as PM Chinh’s cooperation proposals. Chen stressed the importance of strengthening delegation exchanges and deepening cooperation in complementary fields such as digital transformation, artificial intelligence, semiconductors, smart city development, and high-quality human resource training. He also encouraged stronger collaboration in culture, education, and tourism to contribute to the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership between China and Vietnam. Drawing from Shanghai’s strategic development, Chen shared experiences and key policies on modern urban governance, environmental management, and building international financial hubs and free trade zones. He affirmed Shanghai’s willingness to continue sharing experience and supporting Vietnam in these areas./.