Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and the Vietnamese Government delegation arrived in Hanoi on November 5 evening, concluding their trip to attend the first China International Import Expo (CIIE 2018) in Shanghai city at the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc  (front, left) and Party General Secretary and President of China Xi Jinping (front, right) visit the Vietnamese pavilion at the first China International Import Expo

On November 4 and 5, PM Phuc engaged in an array of activities such as participating in the CIIE 2018 opening ceremony and the Hongqiao International Economic and Trade Forum and visiting pavilions of countries and Vietnamese businesses.

He also met with Party General Secretary and President of China Xi Jinping and Shanghai Mayor Ying Yong, held dialogues with and received many leading Chinese enterprises, and attended the opening ceremony of a Vietnamese trade promotion office in Hangzhou city.

Addressing the opening ceremony of CIIE 2018, where Vietnam was chosen as a guest of honour, PM Phuc spoke highly of the exhibition, which showed the wish for win-win cooperation and promotion of economic and trade partnerships to give a strong boost to regional and global economic growth.

He stressed that as a neighbour with traditional friendship, Vietnam always attaches importance to enhancing stable cooperation with China and wants to join the latter – its biggest trade partner – to step up economic and trade ties in a sustainable and mutually beneficial manner.

Vietnam supports liberalised, fair, transparent and inclusive trade based on the World Trade Organisation’s rules, he noted, adding that its Government pledges to create an optimal business climate meeting advanced international standards and high standards in new-generation free trade agreements that the country has joined.

The leader expressed his hope that businesses of other countries, especially China, will understand more about Vietnam’s products and development potential and join hands to bolster sustainable and win-win trade ties.

After the opening ceremony, the PM visited the Vietnamese pavilion where 25 businesses showcased their agricultural products, processed food and IT services.

On the occasion of CIIE 2018, PM Phuc met with Party General Secretary and President of China Xi Jinping. He said on the basis of the consistent foreign policy of independence, self-reliance and multilateralisation and diversification of foreign relations, Vietnam always attaches importance to developing the countries’ friendship in a stable, healthy and sustainable fashion and considers this one of the top priorities in its foreign policy.

He also asked the two sides to maintain high-ranking visits and meetings and intensify political trust. He expressed his belief that the CIIE 2018 will open up new cooperation channels for goods distribution, helping promote official trade activities and brand building so that more Vietnamese commodities would be consumed in the Chinese market.

The PM suggested the Chinese side make it easier for Vietnamese goods to enter its market, and devise practical policies and measures to reduce Vietnam’s big trade deficit, towards promoting stable and sustainable growth of bilateral trade.

Regarding the East Sea issue, he applauded the positive results of negotiation and cooperation mechanisms in less sensitive sea-related areas between the two countries, as well as the initial progress in pragmatic negotiations on a Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC) between ASEAN and China recently.

He called on both sides to respect each other’s legitimate interests while seriously realising the common perceptions of the two countries' leaders and the agreement on the basic principles guiding the settlement of sea-related issues.

They should also patiently solve disputes by peaceful means in line with international law and the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea in order to maintain peace and stability in the East Sea and the region.

On the sidelines of CIIE 2018, PM Phuc had meetings with Pakistani President Arif Alvi and Chief Executive of China’s Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-Ngor to promote bilateral economic links.

In Shanghai, the PM also met with many executives of major Chinese firms to foster cooperation in agriculture, finance, insurance, banking, construction, transport and energy.

Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Nguyen Xuan Cuong also held a seminar with Chinese businesses specialising in farm produce, seafood and fruit trading.

PM invites Shanghai firms to do long-term business in Vietnam

Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc (L) and Mayor of Shanghai Ying Yong

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has welcomed Shanghai firms to do long-term business in Vietnam, especially in the high-tech supporting industry and logistics. 

He made the statement during a meeting with Mayor of Shanghai Ying Yong on the occasion of his visit to attend the first China International Import Expo (CIIE) in the city on November 5. 

The PM affirmed that the Vietnamese Party, Government, and people treasure the development and enhancement of friendly neighborliness and comprehensive cooperation with their Chinese counterparts, as well as support the exchange and cooperation with Chinese localities, including Shanghai. 

He asked Shanghai to facilitate all-level visits and existing cooperation mechanisms with Ho Chi Minh City; as well as actively study the extension of new cooperation mechanisms with Vietnamese ministries, agencies, and localities, especially in the fields where Shanghai has strengths and Vietnam has demand. 

The leader expressed his wish that Shanghai would assist Vietnamese firms in joining the CIIE and make it easier for Vietnam’s agro-forestry-fishery products to gain presence in the markets of Shanghai and, more broadly, China. 

PM Phuc applauded Shanghai and Vietnamese localities to hold people-to-people exchanges and assist Vietnam in personnel training. 

Ying, for his part, highly valued the traditional friendship and mutually-beneficial collaboration with Vietnamese ministries, agencies, and localities. 

He expressed his hope to expand coordination with Vietnamese localities to push forward the effective and practical development of bilateral economic-trade and tourism ties, contributing to strengthening the China-Vietnam comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership.

VNA