A NEW DAY FOR CHINA-VIETNAM RELATIONS

By Cheng Hanping,Zhao Zilong

Chinese President Xi Jinping’s fruitful visit to Vietnam

General Secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and Chinese President Xi Jinping poses with General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee Nguyen Phu Trong in Hanoi,capital of Vietnam,on December 12,2023,after their talks. (SHEN HONG)

Chinese President Xi Jinping made a state visit to Vietnam from December 12 to 13,2023.During the two-day visit,China and Vietnam issued a joint statement on continuing to deepen and elevate their comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership and building a community with a shared future that carries strategic significance.The two sides also signed more than 30 agreements on bilateral cooperation.These developments injected strong momentum into China-Vietnam relations and elevated bilateral ties to a new height.

The visit further cemented relations between the two countries and the two ruling parties.To advance the two countries’ comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership,it highlighted the fraternal friendship between China and Vietnam.Against the backdrop of a sluggish global economy and turbulent world political landscape,China and Vietnam pledged to maintain cooperation and work together to build the new era of bilateral relations.They showcased a new type of international relations and good-neighborly diplomacy,which is of epochmaking significance.

New Phase of Bilateral Relations

The biggest outcome of the visit was China and Vietnam officially confirming that they would work to build a strategically significant China-Vietnam community with a shared future.

A China-Vietnam community with a shared future means closer partnerships in many areas such as politics,economics,and regional and global affairs.On this basis,the two countries will work together to advance development and create prosperity.The term “China-Vietnam community with a shared future” was officially accepted by the Vietnamese side,demonstrating that leaders of the two ruling parties agreed on the importance of China-Vietnam relations both for their respective national interests and for regional and world peace,stability,and prosperity.

Recognition of the term also evidences that the two sides stand ready to back each other in regional and world affairs.The two countries will strengthen coordination and cooperation in international and regional organizations including the United Nations and ASEAN to jointly promote regional and global governance.The two sides will also champion multilateral mechanisms to safeguard regional and world peace,stability,and development and firmly support and defend the rules-based international order and the free trade system.

Pragmatic Cooperation in Emerging Economic Sectors

Linked by mountains and rivers,China and Vietnam are neighbors both by sea and land.Given this,the two sides have closely linked and complementary economies,and their interests overlap in many areas.

Bilateral trade has surpassed US$200 billion for two consecutive years.From January to October 2023,the figure reached US$185.1 billion.China has been Vietnam’s largest trading partner for many consecutive years,and Vietnam is China’s largest trading partner among ASEAN countries and the fourth largest worldwide.

In the first 11 months of 2023,Vietnam’s exports of agricultural products rose by 20.3 percent.Expanding trade in agricultural products between China and Vietnam demonstrated the broad prospect for bilateral agricultural cooperation.Connecting the China-Vietnam freight train service to the China-Europe freight train service drastically shortened shipment time,improved transportation efficiency,and solved the problem of connectivity between ASEAN member states and Central Asian countries.It is also facilitating growth and resilience in the Vietnamese economy.

People visit the Vietnam booth at the 6th China International Import Expo (CIIE) in Shanghai on November 6,2023.(FANG ZHE)

Alongside strengthening cooperation in traditional economic sectors like infrastructure and agriculture,China and Vietnam pledged that they would double efforts to advance pragmatic cooperation in emerging economic sectors including infrastructure for the digital economy,artificial intelligence,and green energy.This will spur economic innovation and transformation,expand bilateral trade and investment,enhance energy security and sustainable development,and facilitate talent exchange and technological cooperation.In turn,it will create more development opportunities for the two countries,promote common prosperity and progress,and advance regional economic integration among ASEAN member states.

US$200billion

US$185.1billion

Bilateral trade has surpassedUS$200 billionfor two consecutive years.From January to October 2023,the figure reachedUS$185.1 billion.

20.3 %

In the first 11 months of 2023,Vietnam’s exports of agricultural products rose by20.3 percent.

Enhancing National Image

Amity between the people holds the key to state-to-state relations.In the joint statement,the two sides pledged to strengthen mechanisms for exchanges between the publicity departments of the two parties,mainstream media outlets and publishers as well as between cultural,tourism,youth,and local agencies.They will work to build mechanisms for cooperation in education,health care,traditional medicine,and civil aviation.Efforts will also be made to advance cooperation in publicity,culture and tourism,education,sports,human resources,technology,health,disaster prevention and mitigation,people-to-people and youth ties at local levels.

Strengthening cooperation between publicity departments is expected to enhance the amity between countries,improve mutual trust and friendship,expand mutual understanding,and promote bilateral cultural exchange and cooperation.Such cooperation places importance on the friendship and shared interests of the two countries.It is conducive to shaping a positive,friendly,and trustworthy national image,helping the Vietnamese people develop a better understanding and objective evaluation of China,and clearing up misunderstandings.The hope is that the people of the two countries can better understand each other and foster friendship.

The bulk of the general public in Vietnam doesn’t know what China is really like.Most of the time,they learn about China from the Western media,which tends to cover China with bias.Their coverage usually misleads the Vietnamese people.Therefore,cooperation between publicity departments and mainstream media outlets will help consolidate China-Vietnam friendship,enhance their respective national image,and facilitate bilateral cooperation in other areas.

Against the backdrop of a sluggish global economy and turbulent world political landscape,China and Vietnam pledged to maintain cooperation and work together to build the new era of bilateral relations.

Coping with Non-traditional Security Threats

The joint statement included an upgrade on cooperation in nontraditional security fields such as antiterrorism,prevention of cyber fraud,and prevention of “color revolutions.”Such cooperation will improve the two countries’ law enforcement capability to cope with non-traditional security threats,which is of great significance to safeguarding institutional security.

Cooperation on fighting crime and training personnel will contribute to maintaining social stability and protecting citizens’ legal rights and interests.Exchange and cooperation in intelligence will help the two sides more accurately evaluate and handle security threats and take corresponding measures to counter terrorism,external intervention,and secession,thus safeguarding national security and social stability.

As socialist countries under the leadership of a communist party,China and Vietnam share experience in preventing hostile forces,reactionary forces,“color revolution,”and secessionists.Exchanges will help the two countries better cope with non-traditional security threats and maintain social stability and political security in a complicated and volatile global landscape.

The two countries also pledged to deepen cooperation and exchange experience in the fields of economic security,food,energy,and water resources security as well as in reform and opening-up.This will boost the sound and sustainable development of the two economies,ensure that food,energy,and water resources are safe and stable,and elevate bilateral relations to a new level.Such cooperation also contributes to regional peace and prosperity and will help realize their shared development interests.

Mechanisms for Managing Maritime Issues

For years,the United States has been colluding with its allies and partners to get more non-regional countries involved in the South China Sea issue in the name of so-called“freedom of navigation.” These nonregional countries have instigated regional countries to take military actions,fostering instability in the South China Sea and Southeast Asia.

Against a backdrop of fragmented global geopolitics and rising antiglobalization sentiments,China and Vietnam agreed to honor the important consensus reached by the two state leaders and take active measures to find a solution acceptable to both sides that aligns with bilateral agreements and international rules,including the basic principles guiding the settlement of sea-related matters between China and Vietnam and the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

The two sides will continue fully and effectively implementing the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea.They pledged to strive for an early conclusion of a Code of Conduct in the South China Sea on the basis of consensus.The two sides will implement a mechanism involving senior officials meeting and the China-ASEAN joint working group meeting to implement the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea.They pledged to properly manage differences and avoid actions that might complicate the situation or exacerbate disputes to jointly maintain stability at sea.

Furthermore,China and Vietnam will continue cooperation in less sensitive areas at sea such as protection of biological resources.They will work together to tap the potential of maritime resources and transform challenges at sea into opportunities for further cooperation.

As two neighboring countries managing disputes in the South China Sea,China and Vietnam could write a new chapter in the history of international relations by managing their differences effectively,replacing confrontation with dialogue,and navigating sensitive matters with a peaceful approach.This is the essence of building a strategically significant China-Vietnam community with a shared future.