March 16, 2026 | 17:45

Vietnam, China hold first “3+3” ministerial strategic dialogue

Van Nguyen

The dialogue took place in Hanoi on March 16, aiming to strengthen strategic coordination and deepen political trust between the two countries.

Vietnam, China hold first “3+3” ministerial strategic dialogue
From left to right: Chinese Minister of National Defense Dong Jun, Minister of National Defence Gen. Phan Van Giang, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, Vietnamese Foreign Minister Le Hoai Trung, Chinese Minister of Public Security Wang Xiaohong, and Vietnamese Minister of Public Security Gen. Luong Tam Quang, at the dialogue in Hanoi, on March 16, 2026. (Source: VGP)

The first ministerial meeting on foreign affairs, defense and public security between Vietnam and China was held in Hanoi on March 16, aiming to strengthen strategic coordination and deepen political trust between the two countries, according to a report  from the Government News.

The Vietnamese delegation included Foreign Minister Le Hoai Trung, Minister of National Defense Phan Van Giang, and Minister of Public Security Luong Tam Quang, among others.

The Chinese side was led by Foreign Minister Wang Yi, Minister of National Defense Dong Jun, and Minister of Public Security Wang Xiaohong.

During the opening session, Vietnamese Foreign Minister Le Hoai Trung described the "3+3" strategic dialogue as the first ministerial-level mechanism of its kind that both Vietnam and China have established with any partner country, reflecting the special nature of bilateral ties, the high level of political trust and strong strategic linkage between the two Parties and States.

He noted that the mechanism corresponds to the growing depth of the Vietnam–China Comprehensive Strategic Cooperative Partnership and plays an important role in implementing the common perceptions reached by the two countries' senior leaders.

The dialogue, said the Vietnamese Foreign Minister, will help strengthen coordination among key agencies responsible for diplomacy, defense and security, thereby promoting cooperation across multiple fields, enhancing political trust and enabling both sides to jointly address global challenges amid a rapidly evolving international environment.

At the meeting, the two foreign ministers exchanged views on strategic issues and agreed that relations between the two countries have continued to develop positively and comprehensively in recent years.

Both sides emphasized the need to further deepen the Comprehensive Strategic Cooperative Partnership and continue cooperation in line with the "six major orientations" agreed by the two countries' leaders.

Discussions took place in a friendly and open atmosphere, with ministers exchanging views on rapidly evolving regional and global developments.

The two sides noted that in the current context, strengthening solidarity, cooperation and political trust while balancing development and security has become increasingly important for addressing shared challenges related to both security and development in accordance with international law and the Charter of the United Nations.

Chinese ministers congratulated Vietnam on its development achievements under the leadership of the Communist Party of Vietnam headed by General Secretary To Lam, expressing their confidence in the country's future development prospect. They also highlighted China's development plans.

They reaffirmed that China attaches great importance to the relations with Vietnam and stands ready to work with the Vietnamese side to effectively implement high-level agreements, strengthen exchanges of experience in Party building and governance, and safeguard each country's security and development interests.

For their part, Vietnamese ministers congratulated China on its achievements under the leadership of the Communist Party of China with General Secretary and President Xi Jinping as its core leader.

They reiterated that Vietnam consistently regards the development of relations with China as a strategic choice, an objective necessity and a top priority in its independent, self-reliant, multilateral and diversified foreign policy. Vietnam also reaffirmed its support for the "One China" policy and expressed readiness to participate appropriately in China's global development, security, civilization and governance initiatives.

The Vietnamese side proposed that the diplomatic, defense and public security agencies of both countries should further strengthen coordination to implement high-level exchanges and expand practical cooperation in areas such as economic ties, trade, investment, strategic infrastructure and science and technology.

Both sides also agreed to enhance cooperation in defense, security and law enforcement, particularly in combating cross-border crime and cybercrime. Cooperation will also be expanded in border management, immigration control and the sharing of experience in safeguarding energy, environmental, information and data security.

The two countries pledged to step up cooperation in United Nations peacekeeping, search and rescue operations and international humanitarian activities, while strengthening coordination at regional forums with the central role of ASEAN.

Both sides stressed the importance of properly managing and resolving maritime issues in accordance with international law in order to maintain a peaceful and stable environment conducive to the development of both countries and the wider region.

Attention
The original article is written and published on VnEconomy in Vietnamese, then translated into English by Askonomy – an AI platform developed by Vietnam Economic Times/VnEconomy – and published on En-VnEconomy. To read the full article, please use the Google Translate tool below to translate the content into your preferred language.
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