The deputy minister made the remark during a Vietnamese farm produce trade promotion forum held in the Chinese province of Liaoning on May 20. Over 100 agricultural firms from both countries attended the event.

China, with the population of roughly 1.4 billion, has a high demand for agricultural products. Besides, a geographic proximity enables Vietnamese exporters to save costs for their shipments to the neighboring country, Nam noted.

Vietnamese firms in turn must ensure the provision of quality products that meet the origin and labeling requirements set by Chinese importers.

Johnson Choi, executive director of Hong Kong Sunwah Group, a major distributor of Vietnamese farm produce in China, said that many Vietnamese firms have made progress in technology investment, but the progress remains uneven.

Choi went on to say that in the coming time his firm hopes to offer the technology - related support Vietnamese firms are in need, in order to help boost their agricultural exports.

According to Do Thi Thu Thuy, executive director of a red-fleshed dragon fruit co-operative in the northern province of Vinh Phuc, the forum provided her entity with a great opportunity to make inroads into the Chinese market.

"We lack a lot of information regarding the Chinese market. This forum enabled us to update tactics in relation to farming, processing, packaging, and export specifications. We will definitely re-standardize our production process to meet the requirements of Chinese importers,” Thuy said.

The Vietnamese Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) has planned to suggest the Chinese side speed up the process of opening its market to Vietnamese fruits with priority given to some key products, including durian, passion fruit, avocado, grapefruit, and coconut.

As per aquatic products, the ministry would call upon China to accelerate its reception for clams, crabs, and tuna, all which are in high demand in China.

Also at the forum, MARD officials clarified queries by Chinese firms on procedures relating to farm produce trade between the two countries.

In the face of decreased agricultural exports to China during the first four months of 2019, the MARD has fostered collaboration with the Vietnam Trade Office in China to organize forums aimed at enhancing direct links between businesses from the two countries and seeking greater stability in official exports to the Chinese market.

VOV