Interview: China, Vietnam should uphold traditional friendship, jointly tackle global challenges, says Chinese ambassador

HANOI -- China and Vietnam should uphold their traditional friendship featuring "camaraderie plus brotherhood" and join hands to tackle global challenges, Chinese Ambassador to Vietnam He Wei has said.

Such a bond is the most vivid reflection of the traditional friendship between the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV), and between the two countries, the ambassador told Xinhua in an interview ahead of Chinese President Xi Jinping's upcoming state visit to Vietnam from Monday to Tuesday.

Standing at a new historical starting point, China and Vietnam should follow the important consensus reached by the top leaders of the two parties and countries, and strengthen the foundation of their bilateral relations with high-level political mutual trust, high-quality practical cooperation and in-depth people-to-people exchanges, so as to inject more positive energy into regional and global peace, stability and development, he said.

The ambassador said the two countries' traditional friendship has laid a solid foundation for their struggles for national independence and liberation, and has also injected strong momentum into consolidating and deepening their comprehensive strategic cooperation, assuring the stability for both countries in responding to a complex and volatile international landscape.

He noted that the top leaders of the two parties have in recent years maintained frequent interactions, charting the course for China-Vietnam relations. This has played a strategic role in advancing the relations between the two parties and the two countries, he added.

Xi, also general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, paid a historic visit to Vietnam in December 2023, during which the two sides announced the building of a China-Vietnam community with a shared future that carries strategic significance, marking a new stage in their bilateral relations.

To Lam, general secretary of the CPV Central Committee, visited China in his first overseas trip after taking office, further strengthening bilateral ties.

The Chinese ambassador noted that China and Vietnam, as partners treading the path of reform and of modernization, view each other's development as a significant opportunity.

With both countries jointly embarking on the new journey to build a China-Vietnam community with a shared future that carries strategic significance, their practical cooperation has also entered a fast track focusing on quality improvement and upgrading, He said.

He pointed out that China was Vietnam's largest trading partner in over 20 consecutive years, and for years Vietnam has been China's largest trading partner within the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

Take agricultural products. The ambassador said that high-quality Vietnamese products such as coffee and fresh coconuts are highly popular among Chinese consumers, and over 90 percent of Vietnam's durian exports go to China.

Last year, China led in the number of newly registered investment projects in Vietnam, He said, noting that the Chinese-built Cat Linh-Ha Dong Line, Vietnam's first urban light rail line, has provided convenience for local commuters, and the Chinese-invested Soc Son waste-to-energy plant processes 60 percent of Hanoi's daily household waste.

Emphasizing the people-to-people bond and strong cultural links between the two countries, He said leaders of the two parties agreed on making this year the China-Vietnam Year of People-to-People Exchanges to mark the 75th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic relations, reflecting their deep commitment and high expectations for reinforcing the foundation of public support in both countries.

Through a series of activities, the bond between the two peoples will become even closer, and the public support for bilateral relations will become increasingly robust, said the ambassador.

As the world is undergoing accelerated changes unseen in a century and is entering a new period of turbulence, the United States, in particular, has recently dealt a heavy blow to global and regional economic order by weaponizing tariffs to exert maximum pressure, He said.

In the face of these challenges, the ambassador said China and Vietnam should deepen their comprehensive strategic cooperation and inject more certainty and stability into the region. This is not only an essential aspect of building a China-Vietnam community with a shared future that carries strategic significance but also a necessary step to promote regional cooperation and development, He said.