Hanoi (VNA) – Rep♏resentatives from over 20 Chinese enterprises joined their Vietnamese counterparts at a business forum, which was organised by the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) in Hanoi on January 12.

The event offered a good oppertunity to Chinese firms to seek investment and business opportunities, and set up ties with Vietnamese distributors. Deputy Head of the VCCI’s International Relations Division, Pham Quang Thinh, reported that China was Vietnam’s largest trade partner over the last decade. The country remains a leading importer of various goods from Vietnam, such as computers and components, natural rubber, coal and rice, he said. According to Thinh, the ASEAN-China free trade area officially took effect from the end of 2015, with the trade tariff of 7,000 commodities now cut to zero. Zhang Shuai, who led the Chinese business delegation to the event, shared that Chinese enterprises are very interested in the Vietnamese market, which boasts a crowd of consumers, with a stable and favourable business climate. These advantages, along with the geographic proximity of the two states, are expected to enhance connections between the two countries’ enterprises, he said. Trade between the two countries recorded a strong boost in recent years, hitting nearly 60.5 billion USD in 2015, up 14 percent against the previous year. Vietnam’s export turnover to China in the period reached 15.5 billion USD, 14.6 percent higher than that of 2014. Vietnam mainly ships computers, electronics, fibre, vegetables, and cassava to China, while importing machines, cameras, textiles, steel and fertiliser from China.-VNA