The second session of the Vietnam-China Agricultural Cooperation Committee was held on November 28 in Beijin, China, under the co-chair of Vietnam's Minister of Agriculture and Environment Tran Duc Thang and China's Minister of Agriculture and Rural Affairs Han Jun.
At the meeting, the Vietnamese Minister stated that since the first session in 2018, the relevant agencies of the two ministries have proactively coordinated and implemented many important contents across almost all areas of cooperation. In the field of fisheries, the two sides have coordinated to implement the "Memorandum of Understanding on releasing fish fry and protecting aquatic resources in the Gulf of Tonkin."
Minister Tran Duc Thang stated that "Trade in agricultural, forestry, and fishery products continues to be a highlight."
In the field of plant and animal disease management, Minister Tran Duc Thang appreciated China's issuance of a separate certificate for Vietnam, updated monthly, and authorized Vietnam for certified products. The coordination between the specialized agencies of the two countries has accelerated the negotiation process, paving the way for the completion of import-export procedures for animals.
Trade in agricultural, forestry, and fishery products continues to be a highlight, according to the Vietnamese minister, Vietnam's export turnover of agricultural, forestry, and fishery products to China has increased by about 75% since 2018, while imports from China have increased more than fivefold. In the first nine months of 2025 alone, the total two-way trade turnover of agricultural, forestry, and fishery products between Vietnam and China reached nearly $14 billion, indicating a great demand and potential for cooperation between the two countries.
Cooperation in training and capacity building has also made significant progress. Since 2018, Vietnam has sent eight people to China for doctoral training, seven for master's training, and over 100 officials to participate in short-term training courses and workshops.
In the field of scientific research and technology transfer, the two sides have implemented many projects with practical results. Some plant varieties, such as Ha Den grapes, new corn varieties, and new melon varieties, have been successfully researched and transferred, opening up opportunities to improve productivity and quality of agricultural production in Vietnam.
On the Chinese side, Minister Han Jun affirmed that agricultural cooperation between the two countries has a solid foundation, great development prospects, and China is always ready to support Vietnam in related fields. In cultivation, China wishes to continue cooperation in rice variety selection, pest management, and disease prevention. The country is ready to implement the contents of the memorandum on pesticide management technology, promote the registration mechanism, recognize experimental data, and expand monitoring of migratory pests.
The Chinese minister noted the space for agricultural exchange between the two countries is still very large.
Regarding a plan to establish a joint research center on rice varieties, Minister Han stated that the necessary conditions are now relatively complete. China possesses strong capabilities in rice research and production and will coordinate early implementation with the participation of leading enterprises.
In terms of trade, according to the Chinese minister, many Chinese enterprises invest in research and production in Vietnam and have achieved positive results. China wishes to invest in cold storage, logistics, and requests Vietnam to provide relevant information to promote cooperation.
In livestock and veterinary fields, major Chinese enterprises are deeply cooperating in Vietnam. A typical example is the cooperation between China's Muyuan Foods Co., Ltd and BAF Vietnam in building high-tech pig farms. Muyuan currently raises about 80 million pigs annually, accounting for 10% of China's total production. China is also ready to cooperate with Vietnam in animal feed production, disease prevention, and epidemiological information sharing.
In the fisheries sector, since 2018, China has released over 420 million fish fry into the Gulf of Tonkin. At the end of October, the two countries held the fifth negotiation on the Gulf of Tonkin Fisheries Cooperation Agreement and achieved many positive results.
Both sides agreed to promote cooperation in science and technology, strengthen connections between research agencies, propose and implement technical projects to enhance agricultural production capacity.
In training and capacity building, China is ready to support Vietnam's needs in gene analysis, digital transformation, and agricultural services through the embassy system, according to Minister Han.
MANY NEW PROPOSALS FROM VIETNAM
On the Vietnamese side, Minister Tran Duc Thang continued to propose specific cooperation contents. He hopes the two sides will soon realize the six issues raised by China and restart cooperation on pandas – a topic raised about 10 years ago but not yet implemented.
Regarding spiny lobsters, the Vietnamese minister stated that Vietnam mainly farms them, not catching them naturally, but must comply with CITES regulations on the origin of fry. Therefore, he requested China to send a delegation to Vietnam to verify and clarify the legal origin for farming.
In addition, the minister proposed that China support organizing a Vietnamese expert delegation to study the rural revitalization model – a program that China has successfully implemented. The minister informed that early next year, Vietnam will send a representative from the agriculture and environment sector to work at the Vietnamese Embassy in Beijing and hopes to receive support from China.
Acknowledging Vietnam's proposals, the Chinese minister expressed special interest in rural revitalization and affirmed readiness to share experiences and welcome the Vietnamese delegation to learn from exemplary localities.
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