The session was held online, linking to northern border provinces, with Deputy Chairman of the Điện Biên Province People’s Committee, Lò Văn Tiến, presiding over the meeting in Điện Biên.

The meeting marked a continuation of the enduring friendship and comprehensive cooperation between the two nations, which has seen steady progress thanks to the collaborative efforts of both sides.

High-level exchanges have been carried out regularly, contributing significantly to strengthening political trust between the two Parties and States.

In the realm of economic cooperation, Việt Nam has solidified its position as China’s largest trading partner in ASEAN and its fifth-largest globally.

Bilateral trade turnover for the first ten months of 2024 reached US$168.5 billion, reflecting a 2.1 per cent increase.

During this period, China also ranked second in registered investment in Việt Nam, with nearly $1.85 billion, and led the number of new projects with 729 initiatives.

After a three-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Việt Nam welcomed 3.01 million Chinese visitors in the first ten months of 2024, the second-highest number after South Korea.

In the past year, Điện Biên Province and Yunnan Province have bolstered cooperation in various sectors, facilitating exchanges, study tours, and experience-sharing.

Both sides have engaged actively in cultural, sports, trade promotion, and investment activities, yielding positive results.

Notably, Điện Biên and Yunnan signed a memorandum of understanding to officially open the A Pa Chải–Long Phú border gate.

The meeting also reviewed progress made since the 15th meeting, with both sides agreeing that the Việt Nam–China comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership has maintained positive momentum, delivering several significant outcomes.

Discussions centred on key directions and practical measures to further deepen bilateral cooperation across all sectors.

Both parties committed to enhancing coordination at all levels to ensure the effective implementation of high-level agreements and shared goals.

Priority will be given to advancing the development of three standard-gauge railway lines connecting Việt Nam and China: Lào Cai–Hà Nội–Hải Phòng, Lạng Sơn–Hà Nội, and Móng Cái–Hạ Long–Hải Phòng.

The two sides also pledged to organise meaningful events to mark the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations in 2025, alongside celebrating the Việt Nam–China Year of People-to-People Exchange, further fostering the traditional friendship between the nations.

Further efforts will focus on enhancing people-to-people exchanges, building public support, and managing maritime disputes to maintain peace, stability, and cooperation in the region and globally.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Bùi Thanh Sơn emphasised the importance of strengthening high-level exchanges, aligning strategic development, improving infrastructure connectivity, and deepening cooperation in economic, trade, investment, cultural, educational, and tourism sectors.