Xi: Bolster ties with BRI partners

Vietnam

Strategic areas including connectivity were highlighted by Xi as the priority for cooperation between China and Vietnam, as he stressed the need for stronger bilateral collaboration in emerging sectors such as e-commerce.

Speaking during a meeting with Vietnamese President Vo Van Thuong, who came to Beijing to attend the third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, Xi said China stands ready to further increase its imports of high-quality Vietnamese products.

Beijing and Hanoi should adhere to the principles of extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits and fully leverage the strengths from geographical proximity and industrial complementarity to accelerate integration of the Belt and Road Initiative and the "Two Corridors and One Economic Circle" plan, he said.

Xi urged joint efforts to forge closer bonds between both peoples and at local levels, especially among the younger generation, to carry forward the traditional friendship from generation to generation.

He noted that China and Vietnam have supported each other in their respective struggles for national liberation, forming a deep and enduring friendship featuring both comradeship and brotherhood.

The two countries are both advancing their own socialist modernization cause, both regard the bilateral relationship as a priority in their respective foreign policy, and both see each other's development as opportunities for their own development, he said.

Xi highlighted the need to forge a bilateral community of a shared future with strategic implications and ensure that China-Vietnam relations continue to thrive on a path of mutual benefit and cooperation.

Thuong said that over the past decade, the BRI has become an open, inclusive and high-quality international cooperation platform, significantly boosting relevant countries' development and promoting friendship between their peoples.

He expressed readiness to maintain high-level strategic communication with China, elevate the positioning of Vietnam-China relations, and continuously enrich the content of the bilateral comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership in the new era.