Chinese leader’s article sketches out Vietnam-China future cooperation orientations

The Nhan dan (People) Newspaper has run an article by General Secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and President of the People's Republic of China Xi Jinping entitled "Building a China-Vietnam Community with a Shared Future That Carries Strategic Significance And Writing Together a New Chapter in Our Modernisation Drive" on the threshold of the Chinese leader’s state visit to Vietnam from December 12-13.

In the article, CPC General Secretary and Chinese President Xi wrote that he will soon pay a state visit to the Socialist Republic of Vietnam at the invitation of General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee Nguyen Phu Trong and President Vo Van Thuong.

“It will be my third visit to this beautiful country since I became General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and President of the People's Republic of China. I feel that I am already immersed in the warmth that people would only have when visiting relatives and neighbours,” he stated.

China and Vietnam are connected by mountains and rivers, enjoying cultural proximity, cherishing the same ideals, and having a shared future ahead, the Chinese leader underlined. Inspired by common visions, convictions and empathy, Comrade Mao Zedong, Comrade Ho Chi Minh and other older-generation leaders of the two parties and countries jointly cultivated the China-Vietnam traditional friendship featuring "camaraderie plus brotherhood." China and Vietnam stood together wholeheartedly and supported each other in pursuing national independence and liberation. In advancing socialism, the two sides shared experience and expanded cooperation, writing together a historic chapter of China-Vietnam friendship.

This year marks the 15th anniversary of the China-Vietnam comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership. No matter how the global environment has changed, the two parties and countries have worked together to uphold peace and tranquility, pursue development and cooperation, and promote prosperity and progress. “We have found a promising path of jointly building a community with a shared future for mankind,” the Chinese leader underscored.

In the article, CPC General Secretary and Chinese President Xi highlighted major orientations for the relations between China and Vietnam.

He held that the two sides need to maintain strategic communication and reinforce the political foundation for a China-Vietnam community with a shared future. It is important that the two countries keep strategic communication at high levels to ensure that the ship of China-Vietnam relations can break waves and keep making steady progress. The two countries should firmly support each other in pursuing the socialist path suited to our respective national realities, while coordinating their priorities, development and security, and jointly act on the Group of Friends of the Global Development Initiative (GDI), the Global Security Initiative (GSI) and the Global Civilisation Initiative (GCI), and deepening exchanges on the theory and practices of socialist development, fend off external risks and challenges together, and ensure steady and sustained progress in common socialist endeavours.

The Chinese leader emphasised the need for the two sides to make good use of their complementary strengths to cement the cooperation foundation for a China-Vietnam community with a shared future. China is promoting a new development paradigm through high-quality opening up, and Vietnam is in the period of robust economic growth. They both should bring out the full potential in their geographical proximity and complementarity of industries. Among others, they should accelerate synergising the BRI and the Two Corridors and One Economic Belt framework, and broaden cooperation in such areas as connectivity, SOE reform, green energy and critical minerals, in a bid to better serve our respective national development and benefit our two peoples, he stated.

At the same time, the two sides should step up friendly exchanges to cement popular support for a China-Vietnam community with a shared future, said the Chinese leader. “A close neighbour is better than a distant relative. The people are the root, the lifeline and the source of strength of China-Vietnam relations. We should enhance friendly cooperation and exchanges, and make full use of counterpart exchange mechanisms such as central media outlets, think tanks, cultural and tourism departments, publishers, as well as radio, film and television institutions,” he stated. He held that the two countries should deepen cooperation in Chinese language education, vocational education, sports and health, while ensuring the success of flagship events including the China-Vietnam People's Forum and the China-Vietnam Youth Friendship Meeting with a view to increasing mutual understanding and affinity between the two peoples, especially the younger generation, and having more direct flights between the two countries. China will encourage more tourists to visit Vietnam to experience the unique charm of the Vietnamese culture and history, he added.

He also stressed the need for China and Vietnam to properly manage differences and expand the consensus for a China-Vietnam community with a shared future. Both sides need to act on the common perceptions reached by the leaders of the two parties and countries, properly manage differences on maritime issues, and jointly look for mutually acceptable solutions. Both should bear in mind the long-term well-being of the two peoples, stay committed to striving for mutual benefit and win-win cooperation, vigorously promote cooperation, and make due efforts to build an enabling external environment for each country's respective development and to realise long-term stability and security in the region, the Chinese leader wrote.