The General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee and Vietnamese President To Lam pays a state visit to China from August 18 to 20. China is the first country Lam visits after being elected as general secretary of the CPV Central Committee.
On August 18, To Lam attended a meeting with representatives of Chinese friendly personages in Guangzhou.
On the morning of August 18, To Lam arrived in Guangzhou and started his state visit to China. During his stay in Guangzhou, Lam followed the "red footprints" of the late Vietnamese leader Ho Chi Minh and reviewed his revolutionary activities in China, interacted with people who have contributed to China-Vietnam friendship, and delivered speeches at related events.
To Lam has visited China multiple times, and his choice of Guangzhou as his first stop in China holds historical significance. This decision underscores the longstanding historical ties between Guangdong and Vietnam, as well as the increasingly close cooperation and friendship between the two regions.
According to information released by the Vietnamese side, the Vietnamese delegation accompanying Lam on this visit includes relevant leaders of various ministries, industries and localities. After concluding his visit to Guangzhou, he will continue his journey to Beijing to further his visit to China.
In recent years, several high-ranking Vietnamese officials have visited Guangdong to gain insights into Guangdong's experiences in urban management and governance, rural revitalization, and social development. These visits aim to explore opportunities to expand cooperation, broaden areas of collaboration, and share mutual benefits.
On August 18, To Lam attended a meeting with representatives of Chinese friendly personages in Guangzhou.
Guangdong is Vietnam's largest provincial trade partner in China
China and Vietnam share a close geographical and cultural connection, and their people boast a time-honored history of friendly exchanges, with Guangzhou playing a significant role. This city is where the late Vietnamese leader Ho Chi Minh established a deep-rooted revolutionary friendship with China's early leaders.
This year marks the 100th anniversary of Ho's revolutionary activities in Guangzhou. Guangdong always pays attention to preserving the relic sites connected to the late Vietnamese leader Ho Chi Minh and Vietnamese revolutionaries in the locality, such as the Vietnamese Revolutionary Youth League relic site and the grave of Martyr Pham Hong Thai.
In recent years, exchanges between Guangdong and Vietnam have become increasingly close, facilitated by the cooperative mechanisms between the two regions, that is, the Vietnam-Guangdong Cooperation and Coordination Meeting. The conference has been held regularly since 2010, initially on an annual basis alternating between Guangdong and Vietnam, and since 2015, every two years. To date, eight meetings have been held.
In June 2022, the 8th Vietnam-Guangdong Cooperation and Coordination Meeting was held in Guangzhou and Hanoi in an online format. The conference focused on seizing opportunities from implementing RCEP to deepen exchanges and cooperation between Guangdong and Vietnam, with special sessions on trade cooperation, small and medium-sized enterprise exchanges, and friendly city interactions. The meeting reached a consensus on enhancing strategic alignment, expanding the import and export of competitive products, promoting two-way investment and cooperation, leveraging major exhibition platforms, and strengthening local friendly exchanges and cooperation between Guangdong Province and Ho Chi Minh City, and between Guangzhou and Hanoi.
For a long time, China has been Vietnam's largest trading partner. Among the provinces in China, Guangdong has the highest trade volume with Vietnam, accounting for about one-fifth of the total import and export volume of the two countries.
In 2023, the total import and export trade volume between Guangdong and Vietnam was $48.245 billion, a year-on-year increase of 7.9%. In this regard, Guangdong's exports to Vietnam were $25.349 billion, while imports from Vietnam amounted to $22.896 billion.
This record is expected to be surpassed. From January to June 2024, the total trade volume between Guangdong and Vietnam reached $26.812 billion, representing a year-on-year increase of 29.69 percent.
Offshore Wind Power Project in Ca Mau, Vietnam
Why is there such a vibrant exchange between Guangdong and Vietnam? The key lies in mutual benefits, close ties, and complementary needs. Although geographically close, the two regions boast distinct endowments and advantages.
For Vietnam, Guangdong is the first stop to enter the Chinese market; For China, Guangdong is an important hub for extending trade and industrial chains to Vietnam and even ASEAN. Since 2020, ASEAN has become Guangdong’s largest trading partner.
Another set of important data conveys a very clear message. In 2023, Guangdong established 135 new enterprises in Vietnam with an actual investment of $88.13 million. Meanwhile, Vietnam invested in 43 projects in Guangdong, with a contracted foreign capital amounting to 67.36 million yuan, a year-on-year increase of 145.12 percent. From January to June this year, Guangdong set up 71 new enterprises in Vietnam with an actual investment of $45.95 million.
It should be noted that currently, private enterprises are the main force in Guangdong’s outbound investments in Vietnam. For example, in October 2021, Guangdong’s leading wind turbine manufacturer, MingYang Smart Energy, signed the 375 MW offshore wind power project in Ca Mau, Vietnam, which is the largest single offshore wind power project in Vietnam and Southeast Asia.
China-Vietnam (Shenzhen-Haiphong) Economic and Trade Cooperation Park
Let's turn our attention to Haiphong, Vietnam’s third-largest city. As the largest port city in northern Vietnam, Haiphong is adjacent to the capital, Hanoi, and is the location of the China-Vietnam (Shenzhen-Haiphong) Economic and Trade Cooperation Park.
Established in October 2008, it is the first overseas economic and trade cooperation zone of Shenzhen. Operated by Shenzhen-Vietnam Joint Investment Co., Ltd., it has attracted dozens of high-quality manufacturing enterprises. The zone has initially developed into a technology industrial park with electronics and mechanical equipment as its leading industries, becoming an important platform for China-Vietnam economic and trade cooperation. On August 7 this year, the 2024 Hai Phong City Investment Promotion Conference was held in Shenzhen to promote mutual prosperity and development.
Solid foundation and promising future for multi-domain cooperation
In addition to the active economic and trade interactions, Guangdong and Vietnam also maintain close ties in various other fields, such as sister-city relationships and agriculture. This provides ample topics for dialogue during To Lam's visit.
The heartwarming stories of mutual commitment between friendship cities serve as a testament to and continuation of the enduring friendship. As early as 2005, Shantou established a sister-city relationship with Can Tho, one of the five cities centrally administered in Vietnam. Since then, these two coastal cities have frequently interacted through personnel exchanges, trade, and cultural activities. In May of this year, a forum on friendly exchanges and cooperation was held in Shantou, marking a new milestone in their relationship. Next year, both cities will jointly celebrate the 20th anniversary of their cooperation agreement.
Turning to Guangzhou: in 2012, Guangzhou and Hanoi began working on establishing a friendly-exchange city relationship. Through mutual delegations, student exchanges, and cooperation in tourism and trade, the two cities have continually deepened mutual understanding and friendship. In September last year, the two cities signed a memorandum of cooperation to enhance cooperation in smart cities, rail transit, trade and investment, environmental protection, and staff training.
At the provincial level, in November 2009, during the 30th-anniversary celebration of Guangdong's international sister city exchanges, Guangdong Province and Ho Chi Minh City signed a friendship agreement, marking the beginning of a new chapter in their relationship.
It is noteworthy that Guangdong and Vietnam boast a solid foundation for agricultural cooperation, with strong complementarities, immense potential, and promising prospects. For instance, as one of Guangdong's early agricultural enterprises to expand abroad, HAID Group initiated its investment in Vietnam in 2011, marking the beginning of its international expansion. Today, Vietnam has become a significant market for HAID Group, and the project has created over 4,000 jobs locally.
Technology is a key term in the agricultural cooperation between the two regions. Since 2018, through the China-ASEAN Agricultural Science and Technology Network, the Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences has collaborated with agricultural government departments, research institutions, universities, and businesses from Vietnam and other ASEAN countries. They have conducted in-depth cooperation in various fields such as rice, tropical fruits, vegetables, and pest control. Over 100 experts have visited ASEAN countries for exchanges, and the academy has hosted over 200 visitors for knowledge-sharing and collaboration.
People-to-people exchanges are also an essential part of the Guangdong-Vietnam relationship and serve as a bridge to enhance mutual understanding and cultural learning. In March of this year, officials from the Guangzhou Municipal Culture, Radio, Television and Tourism Bureau, and the Guangdong Museum of Revolutionary History (Guangzhou Modern History Museum) visited Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City for exchanges and cooperation in the museum sector.
Guangdong is one of China’s leading provinces for outbound tourism, and Vietnam is a popular tourist destination among tourists from Guangdong. Statistics indicate that from March 2023 to the present, travel agencies in Guangdong have organized 749 tour groups to Vietnam, with approximately 12,000 tourists.
With To Lam's visit to Guangdong, it is expected that the mutually beneficial cooperation between Guangdong and Vietnam will advance to a new level.