Wang Ning, member of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and Secretary of the Yunnan Provincial Party Committee, and Nguyễn Mạnh Dũng, Acting Secretary of the Hà Giang Provincial Party Committee, co-chaired the conference.

Attendees included Đặng Xuân Phong, Secretary of the Lào Cai Provincial Party Committee; Giàng Páo Mỷ, Secretary of the Lai Châu Provincial Party Committee; Trần Quốc Cường, Secretary of the Điện Biên Provincial Party Committee; and Hoàng Minh Sơn, Consul General of Việt Nam in Kunming.

Representing Điện Biên were Phạm Đức Toàn, Standing Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee; Phạm Khắc Quân, Head of the Provincial Party Committee's Organisation Department; Chu Xuân Trường, Head of the Provincial Party Committee's Internal Affairs Department, along with leaders from various departments, agencies and localities.

At the conference, Nguyễn Mạnh Dũng, Acting Secretary of the Hà Giang Provincial Party Committee, on behalf of the Vietnamese delegation, emphasised the long-standing tradition of friendly relations between Việt Nam and China, which have always been nurtured and have achieved significant, comprehensive accomplishments in all fields.

Regarding foreign relations, Việt Nam considers the development of relations with China a strategic choice and a top priority in its independent, self-reliant, peaceful, cooperative and development-oriented foreign policy, he said.

Reviewing the cooperation results over the past period, leaders of the provinces of Hà Giang, Lào Cai, Lai Châu, and Điện Biên in Việt Nam and Yunnan Province in China were pleased to note that the common understandings reached at the third annual conference in 2023 have been actively promoted and achieved significant results across all areas. It included enhancing direct exchanges and cooperation between sectors, levels and associations of both sides; strengthening cooperation in border management and transportation connectivity; development of border gates and openings; management of cross-border labor and cooperation in culture, sports, tourism and agriculture.

To further leverage the potential and advantages of localities and to supplement strengths and promote exchanges and cooperation between the four border provinces of Việt Nam and China’s Yunnan Province, the provincial party secretaries agreed to continue implementing the common understandings reached between the high-level leaders of the two Parties and the two States of both countries.

This included the joint statement on continuing deepening and elevating the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership between the two countries, and building a Việt Nam-China community with a shared future that carries strategic significance.

They also aimed to maintain and enhance the effectiveness of the annual conference mechanism between the Provincial Party Secretaries and the Joint Working Group Meetings of the five provinces.

The Provincial Party Secretaries of the five provinces agreed that the annual conference has made a positive contribution to promoting relations between the two Parties, two countries, and the peoples of Việt Nam and China.

They expressed their belief that with the support of the Central Committees of the Party, the Governments, the Central Foreign Affairs Committees, the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, and other central agencies of the two countries and the high efforts and determination of the five provinces, exchanges and cooperation between the two sides will continue to be effectively implemented.

This will positively contribute to socio-economic development, bringing practical benefits to the people of both sides and deepening the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership between Việt Nam and China.

In his speech at the conference, Trần Quốc Cường, Member of the Central Committee of the Communist Party and Secretary of the Điện Biên Provincial Party Committee, proposed that Yunnan Province cooperate to complete the legal procedures and report to the competent authorities for approval to upgrade the A Pa Chải - Long Phú opening into a bilateral border gate.

He also suggested investing in infrastructure at the Long Phú Border Gate area to meet bilateral border gate criteria. Additionally, he pushed for the construction of a project to renovate and expand the landmark yard at the intersection of the borders of Việt Nam, Laos, and China.

Cường further requested that universities in Yunnan provide scholarship programmes for master's and bachelor's degrees for officials, students and pupils in the fields of education, healthcare, agriculture and finance.

He called for short-term Chinese language training courses for officials in Điện Biên Province and cooperation to develop international tourism routes connecting Điện Biên - Yunnan - Northern Laos and Northern Thailand.

He emphasised the importance of implementing the contents agreed upon in the Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation in healthcare and health.

Cường also encouraged creating favourable conditions for businesses on both sides to explore investment cooperation opportunities, contributing to local economic development on both sides, and strengthening trade and service promotion activities to facilitate businesses and traders from both sides in participating in international trade fairs.

At the conference, the parties agreed to sign the agreement of the 4th Annual Conference between the Provincial Party Secretaries and to witness the signing of various cooperation documents between the governments, agencies, units and localities of both sides in numerous fields.

They also agreed that the fifth annual conference will be held in 2025 in Lai Châu Province in Việt Nam.