State President Vo Van Thuong is paying a visit to China from October 17 to 20 to attend the 3^rd Belt and Road Forum (BRF), at the invitation of General Secretary of the Communist Party of China and President Xi Jinping.

This is the first visit to China by a Vietnamese State President since the 13^th National Party Congress of Vietnam and the 20^th National Party Congress of China.

It takes place in the context of the 15^th anniversary of the Vietnam - China comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership (2008-2023) and the tenth anniversary of China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) (2013-2023).

President Thuong’s trip is of great significance as it reflects the importance and priority the Vietnamese Party and State give to the development of relations with China as well as their welcoming of connectivity initiatives, including the BRI, for peace, stability, and prosperity in the region and the world.

This is also an opportunity for the two countries’ leaders to continue discussing measures on realizing high-level common perceptions, especially the outcomes of the historic official visit to China by Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong in October 2022.

It also creates a chance for continuing to develop the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership between Vietnam and China in a stable, healthy, and increasingly substantive manner with higher political trust, more practical and intensive cooperation, more solid social foundation, and better controlled differences.

President Thuong is being accompanied by Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son, Chairman of the President Office Le Khanh Hai, Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen Chi Dung, and Minister of Information and Communications Nguyen Manh Hung, among others.

On the afternoon of October 17, President Thuong had a meeting with the Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress (NPC) of China, Zhao Leji.

He emphasized that besides attending the 3^rd BRF, his trip is also aimed at continuing to cement and implement common conceptions reached by top leaders of both parties and countries during the visit to China by Party General Secretary Trong in October last year.

The Vietnamese leader affirmed that the Party, State, and people of Vietnam consider building and developing a good relationship with the Chinese Party, State, and people as a strategic choice and a top priority in foreign policy. In response, Chairman Zhao stressed that the friendly relationship with Vietnam is valued by the Chinese Party, government, and people, and is a top priority in its neighboring diplomacy.

Discussing measures to promote bilateral relations in the near future, President Thuong proposed that both sides increase all-level contacts, strengthen political trust, and improve the quality and efficiency of their cooperation in all areas, with a focus on promoting balanced and sustainable growth in trade. He suggested that China increase the importation of Vietnamese goods, particularly farm produce, and promote investment cooperation and multi-modal transport connectivity with Vietnam. The leader also recommended enhancing people-to-people exchanges, with an emphasis on cultural exchange and tourism cooperation.

Chairman Zhao affirmed that China wants to maintain high-level exchanges and work together to determine the major directions for cooperation between the two parties and countries in the time to come. He suggested that both sides deepen mutually beneficial cooperation.

On the same day, President Thuong also met with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who is in Beijing to attend the 3rd BRF.

The two Presidents expressed their pleasure at the fine developments of the traditional friendship and comprehensive strategic partnership between Vietnam and Russia, as evidenced by high political trust and broad, deep, and increasingly substantial cooperation.

During his visit to China, President Thuong is scheduled to meet with leaders of many other countries who are attending the 3^rd BRF, including Party General Secretary and President of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic Thongloun Sisoulith, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet, United Nations Secretary General António Guterres, and the Presidents of Uzbekistan, Sri Lanka, and Congo, among others.