Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and Chinese president, shakes hands with To Lam, general secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and Vietnamese president, who is on a state visit to China, in Beijing, capital of China, Aug. 19, 2024. (Xinhua/Yue Yuewei)

BEIJING, Aug. 19 (Xinhua) -- Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and Chinese president, held talks with To Lam, general secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee and Vietnamese president, on Monday in Beijing.

Xi welcomed Lam's state visit to China and once again congratulated him on his election as general secretary of the CPV Central Committee.

CARRYING FORWARD TRADITIONAL FRIENDSHIP

China is the destination for Lam's first overseas visit after he took office as general secretary of the CPV Central Committee. Xi said this fully reflects the great importance Lam attaches to the relations between the two parties and the two countries, as well as the high level and strategic nature of China-Vietnam relations.

He pointed out that the CPC and the CPV have passed down their shared ideals and beliefs from generation to generation, forging the traditional friendship of "comrades-plus-brothers" between the two countries.

As two of the ruling Communist parties in today's world, the CPC and the CPV should uphold and continue their traditional friendship, keep in mind their common mission, adhere to the leadership of the Communist party and the socialist system, continue to deepen the building of the China-Vietnam community with a shared future that carries strategic significance, and jointly promote the development of the world socialist cause, Xi said.

The CPV and the Vietnamese government always attach importance to developing relations with China and regard China as the strategic choice and top priority of Vietnam's foreign policy, Lam said, noting that the Vietnamese side will adhere to the leadership of the Communist party and the socialist path, deepen the Vietnam-China comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership, and push forward the building of the Vietnam-China community with a shared future that carries strategic significance.

"Lam's visit comes just half a month after he was elected general secretary of the Central Committee of the CPV, showing the importance the Vietnamese side attaches to relations with China," said Chen Hongsheng, director of Institute of Vietnamese Studies, Guangxi Academy of Social Sciences.

"In particular, Lam arrived in south China's Guangzhou on Sunday, visited the places that witnessed Ho Chi Minh's revolutionary activities in China, and exchanged views with friendly personages from China and Vietnam. This is of great significance to consolidating and developing the traditional friendship between the two countries and boosting the continuous progress of bilateral relations," Chen said.

DEEPER PRACTICAL COOPERATION

Xi underscored that at the critical stage of national development and revitalization, China and Vietnam should strive to consolidate the development pattern featuring higher political mutual trust, more solid security cooperation, deeper practical cooperation, stronger public support, closer multilateral coordination and cooperation, and better management and resolution of differences.

China is ready to maintain close strategic communication and high-level exchanges with Vietnam, firmly adhere to mutual support, actively explore ways to expand synergy between the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and the Two Corridors and One Economic Circle strategy, accelerate the "hard connectivity" of railway, expressway and port infrastructure, enhance the "soft connectivity" of smart customs, and jointly build a secure and stable industrial and supply chain, Xi said.

Vietnam is willing to maintain close high-level exchanges, deepen strategic mutual trust, enhance synergy of development strategies, and promote mutually beneficial cooperation with China, Lam said.

China has been Vietnam's largest trading partner since 2004, and Vietnam is China's largest trading partner within ASEAN.

In 2017, China and Vietnam signed a Memorandum of Understanding on the joint implementation of the China-proposed BRI and Vietnam's Two Corridors and One Economic Circle strategy to expedite cooperation across diverse sectors.

In the first seven months of 2024, a total of 6,850 twenty-foot equivalent unit (TEU) containers of goods were shipped via China-Vietnam freight trains departing from south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, marking a 16-fold increase year on year.

Moreover, thanks to favorable policies such as direct air routes and visa facilitation, the cross-border tourism between China and Vietnam has shown vigorous development. This two-way surge in travel not only boosts the development of the tourism industry, but also deepens the cultural exchange and friendship between the two countries, a Chinese tourism official said.

A SHARED FUTURE

During Xi's visit to Vietnam last December, the two countries jointly announced the elevation of bilateral ties to a China-Vietnam community with a shared future that carries strategic significance.

In his talks with Lam, Xi expressed the willingness to establish good working relations and personal friendship with Lam to jointly guide the substantial development in building a China-Vietnam community with a shared future.

He also called for joint efforts to uphold the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence and other basic norms governing international relations, promote an equal and orderly multi-polar world and economic globalization that benefits all, uphold international fairness and justice and the common interests of developing countries, and work to build a community with a shared future for mankind.

For his part, Lam said that the CPV and the Vietnamese government will carry on the legacy of Comrade Nguyen Phu Trong, adhere to the leadership of the Communist party and the socialist path, deepen the Vietnam-China comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership, and push forward the building of the Vietnam-China community with a shared future that carries strategic significance.

Vietnam firmly pursues the one-China policy, supports China in achieving national reunification, and firmly opposes any interference in China's internal affairs, Lam said.

Vietnam supports and is willing to actively participate in the initiative to build a community with a shared future for humanity, as well as the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative, Lam said, adding that Vietnam is also willing to work closely with China to strengthen multilateral international cooperation, uphold multilateralism, safeguard international fairness and justice, and make positive contributions to promoting world peace and development.

During Lam's visit to China, the two sides will also issue a joint statement on further strengthening China-Vietnam comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership and promoting the building of a China-Vietnam community with a shared future.