More than 500 guests from China and Vietnam have attended an event in Hanoi to celebrate 75 years of formal diplomatic ties between the two countries. Among those gathered on Friday were China's ambassador to Vietnam and representatives of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade. Dai Kaiyi has more.
China's Ambassador to Vietnam He Wei used his speech at the reception to reflect on the 75-year history of bilateral relations, calling for more high-quality, practical cooperation and deeper cultural exchanges.
He highlighted the importance of building a strong foundation for a shared future between the two nations.
Vietnam's leadership says the country's strategic priority is to strengthen ties with China, in the hope that the anniversary year would take the partnership to new heights.
NGUYEN XUAN THANG Member of the Politburo of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee "Cooperation in 2025 will surely bring great opportunities, as the foundation of our bilateral relations will not only be strengthened, but also expanded into many new areas."
Economic ties between China and Vietnam have seen steady growth in recent years.
Both nations have been working closely within frameworks like the RCEP trade agreement, and are developing cross-border economic zones to help boost regional integration.
SUN XIAO Secretary-general, China Chamber of International Commerce "The economic and trade cooperation between our two countries is indeed very close. China has always been Vietnam's largest trade partner and its second-largest export destination. Vietnam is China's largest trading partner in ASEAN and the fourth-largest trading partner globally. Last year, bilateral trade surpassed $260 billion, an increase of 13.5%. This shows the enormous potential for further trade cooperation between our two nations."
The China Council for the Promotion of International Trade - a government body - is also working to advance business ties.
In July, it will host the 3rd China International Supply Chain Expo, the world's first national-level exhibition event focused on supply chains.
Vietnamese businesses will also be invited to take part.
Dai Kaiyi, CGTN.