Chinese President Xi Jinping's fruitful state visit to Vietnam demonstrates the deep-rooted ties between the two countries and has further contributed to advancing bilateral exchange and cooperation, Chinese Ambassador to Vietnam He Wei said on Tuesday.
Xi paid a state visit to Vietnam from Monday to Tuesday as the first leg of his current three-nation Southeast Asia tour from April 14 to 18.
"The visit to Vietnam was General Secretary Xi's first overseas trip of the year and the first stop of his current Southeast Asia tour. It was also his first visit to a neighboring country since the central conference on work related to neighboring countries was held [on April 8-9]. What impressed me most was the high-level reception from the Vietnamese side. Vietnamese President Luong Cuong personally welcomed Xi at the airport -- which was unprecedented. Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh saw him off at the airport. These arrangements reflected the high importance and great honor that the Vietnamese Communist Party and government attached to the visit," He said.
China and Vietnam have for long maintained high-level exchanges. Last year, General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee To Lam chose China as his first overseas visit after assuming office.
"While we may describe this as two-way efforts, it actually reflects the profound thinking and policy orientations of both sides. As the two most successful socialist countries in the world today, China and Vietnam regard each other as a top priority in their foreign policies. Vietnam has clearly stated that China is both a diplomatic priority and a strategic choice. The fact that both leaders selected each other's country for their first overseas trips fully demonstrates the depth of strategic communication between the two socialist nations," said the ambassador.
The ambassador also emphasized the heartfelt welcome extended to President Xi upon his arrival.
"If you had been there seeing Xi's special plane arriving at the airport, you would have truly felt the warm atmosphere. It was quite impressive. Everything had been meticulously prepared, with representatives from Vietnam's all 54 ethnic groups welcoming President Xi in their traditional attires to express unprecedented respect and honor towards him," He said.
In addition to strengthening high-level exchanges, Xi's visit also fosters greater people-to-people connectivity, according to He.
"At the China-Vietnam People's Friendship Meeting, General Secretary Xi made some remarks which I think deeply resonate with the realities of both nations and which are exactly what we need the most. He said, 'A towering tree has its roots, and a river flowing from the mountains has its source.' He clearly noted that China-Vietnam relations are rooted in the people, sustained by the people, and empowered by the people. In other words, to further advance our bilateral ties, we must fully mobilize the strength of our peoples," he said.
During the meeting, a program aimed at inviting Vietnamese youth to visit China for "Red Study Tours" was officially launched, which the Chinese ambassador believes will enhance mutual understanding between the young people of the two nations.
"The 'Red Study Tours' program has been launched to encourage young people from both countries to retrace the paths once taken by the older generation of revolutionaries from China and Vietnam. It will enable the two peoples, especially the younger generation, to better understand each other, build mutual trust, and contribute more to advancing the modernization efforts of both countries and elevating their cooperation to new heights," he said.
He highlighted some key outcomes of Xi's visit, including the launch of the China-Vietnam railway cooperation mechanism and the establishment of the "3+3" ministerial-level strategic dialogue on diplomacy, defense, and public security, as well as the six measures proposed by Xi to deepen the development of a China-Vietnam community with a shared future.
The six measures consist of enhancing strategic mutual trust at a higher level, building a stronger security barrier, expanding higher quality mutually beneficial cooperation, tightening the bonds of people-to-people ties, conducting closer multilateral coordination, and achieving more positive maritime interaction.
"There are several key highlights concerning bilateral cooperation. One major breakthrough lies in the railway project. Another notable achievement is in the field of political and security cooperation -- the launch of the world's first '3+3' ministerial-level cooperation mechanism. This marks a new height in the strategic cooperation between the two countries. The six measures will further consolidate the goals of the 'six mores' and drive solid progress in building a China-Vietnam community with a shared future," He said.
The "six mores" refer to stronger political mutual trust, more substantive security cooperation, deeper practical cooperation, more solid popular foundation, closer coordination and collaboration on multilateral affairs, and better management and resolution of differences.
Moreover, He said he firmly believes that China-Vietnam relations exemplify China's neighborhood diplomacy, which emphasizes shared prosperity across the region.
"China and Vietnam are neighbors connected by both land and sea with a history of exchanges tracing back more than a thousand years. Choosing Vietnam as the first destination for an overseas visit following the central conference on work related to neighboring countries carries special significance. Guided by our shared traditions and revolutionary history, our bilateral relations have developed robustly, with the trade volume reaching 260 billion U.S. dollars last year and cooperation across various fields continuing to deepen. I believe this fully reflects China's principles of neighborhood diplomacy, namely, amity, sincerity, mutual benefit, and inclusiveness. We hope that China's development will help drive growth in neighboring countries, improve the well-being of people in the region, and contribute to shared prosperity in our broader neighborhood family," he said.
Xi's visit to Vietnam contributes to strengthening bilateral exchange, cooperation: ambassador
