China remains Vietnam’s largest trading partner while Vietnam has maintained its position as China’s largest trading partner in ASEAN and fourth-largest in the world, the 15th Meeting of the Vietnam-China Steering Committee for Bilateral Cooperation, held in Hanoi on December 1, heard.

The meeting was co-chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Tran Luu Quang and Politburo Member, Director of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee’s Commission for Foreign Affairs, and Minister of Foreign Affairs Wang Yi.

Reviewing new developments in bilateral relations since the 14th meeting in July 2022, the two sides agreed that the Vietnam-China comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership has maintained positive development momentum and recorded many key results.

In particular, China became the largest importer of Vietnamese agriculture, forestry and fisheries products in the first ten months of 2023.

The two countries have expanded their cooperation in new fields such as the digital economy and green growth, and completed negotiations on many important cooperative documents, including a plan to connect the “Two Corridors, One Belt” framework with the “Belt and Road” Initiative.

At the meeting, the two sides agreed to continue applying effective and practical measures to boost economic, trade, and investment cooperation for sustainable and healthy development, and to increase China’s investment in Vietnam in fields using advanced, environmentally-friendly technologies.

They also agreed to expand cooperation in the fields of science and technology, environmental protection, transport, agriculture, healthcare, culture, education, and tourism.

On the same day, Minister Wang met with Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and State President Vo Van Thuong.