Chinese ambassador to Vietnam Xiong Bo. VIET NAM NEWS
China will work with Vietnam to preserve the traditional relationship, deepen comprehensive strategic cooperation between the two countries, protect common strategic interests and promote the bilateral relationship, Chinese Ambassador Xiong Bo has said.
In a recent interview granted to the Viet Nam News, the ambassador said despite the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic, the China-Vietnam comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership continued to be promoted strongly last year.
He highlighted that Vietnam had overcome numerous difficulties in 2021 to advance firmly forward. He noted the successful organisation of the 13th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) which elected the country’s new leadership and set strategic goals towards the 100th anniversary of the CPV in 2030 and the 100th anniversary of the establishment of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam in 2045.
The ambassador stressed that facing complex developments of the pandemic, the Vietnamese government has followed the motto of putting people at the centre and worked to complete the dual goals of pandemic containment and socio-economic development.
He added that Vietnam quickly rolled out a large-scale vaccination programme, and launched economic and social welfare packages in a timely manner, while striving to maintain macro-economic stability.
As a result, the country’s GDP last year grew 2.58 per cent, exports rose to a new record, its trade surplus had been maintained for six consecutive years and foreign investments reached about $31 billion, reflecting the national economy’s resilience and potential, the ambassador said.
He underlined Vietnam’s vaccine diplomacy along with economic and people-to-people diplomacy in efforts to maintain a peaceful and stable environment to ensure socio-economic development, and raise its position in the international arena.
As Vietnam’s neighbour, China is delighted at the achievements the government recorded last year, and will continue to support Vietnam in following the path towards socialism, Xiong Bo affirmed, expressing his belief that under the government’s leadership, Vietnam will soon drive back the pandemic, ensure stable economic growth and firmly advance towards the goal of building a developed socialist country.
He highlighted that during the pandemic, China provided 5.2 million vaccines to Vietnam. The health sectors of the two countries shared experience in pandemic fighting and set up coordination mechanisms for disease prevention in border areas.
Vietnam has persistently pursued a foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, diversification and multilateralisation of relations, he said, noting that the country has successfully fulfilled its non-permanent membership of the UN Security Council.
For economic and trade ties, the ambassador cited statistics from the Chinese side showed that two-way trade surpassed $230 billion last year, up 19 per cent. China is Vietnam’s biggest trade partner and second-biggest importer. Meanwhile, Vietnam is China’s sixth largest trade partner.
The ambassador noted that the two countries have enhanced coordination in multilateral issues, and worked to promote a comprehensive strategic partnership between China and ASEAN as well as to ensure the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership agreement takes effect as scheduled, benefiting economic recovery in the region.
VIETNAM NEWS/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
