During a meeting in Nanning on the evening of 16/4, Party General Secretary and President To Lam proposed that Guangxi and Vietnamese localities achieve breakthroughs in five strategic connections. He expressed appreciation for Guangxi's historical role as a "great rear base" during Vietnam's struggle for national independence, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. President To Lam emphasized his desire for Guangxi to continue fostering friendly relations, leveraging its geographical proximity, and acting as a leading force to create strategic links in cooperation with Vietnamese localities across development policy, economy-trade, logistics infrastructure, science-technology, and social foundations.

Party General Secretary and President To Lam meets Guangxi Party Secretary in Nanning on 16/4. Photo: VNA

Party Secretary Tran Cuong highlighted Vietnam as a close and important partner for Guangxi. He affirmed that the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region government would continue to lead in fully and effectively implementing the important common understanding reached between the two Party General Secretaries and Presidents. Tran Cuong expressed Guangxi's desire for both sides to further promote practical cooperation in various fields, especially in connecting transport infrastructure, particularly railways. He also sought cooperation with Vietnam in high-tech sectors that Guangxi is developing, such as artificial intelligence and big data.

President To Lam urged Guangxi to expand cooperation with other Vietnamese localities, sharing expertise in development policies and local planning. He called for strengthening exchanges and fostering deep economic links, particularly in trade and infrastructure. This includes ensuring smooth customs clearance, integrating bilateral trade with infrastructure, logistics, supply chain, and market connectivity. He also pushed for accelerating multimodal transport connections via rail, road, and sea, with the highest priority given to railway cooperation, including the Lang Son - Ha Noi and Mong Cai - Ha Long - Hai Phong standard gauge railway lines.

Regarding science and technology connectivity, President To Lam proposed that both sides boost cooperation in artificial intelligence applications and implement green agriculture, clean energy, renewable energy, and high-tech processing projects in Vietnam. He also expressed a desire for close cooperation in managing the land border effectively, promptly resolving existing and emerging issues. This includes facilitating people-to-people exchanges and fully leveraging tourism potential to contribute to the success of the Viet-China Tourism Cooperation Year 2026-2027.

Emphasizing the popularity of high-quality Vietnamese agricultural products among Guangxi consumers, Party Secretary Tran Cuong affirmed Guangxi's readiness to boost imports of these products. This would not only meet the demands of the Guangxi market but also facilitate their distribution to other parts of China via Guangxi. He further proposed that both sides accelerate the pilot construction of smart border gates to streamline goods trade and enhance friendly exchanges and mutual understanding between the people of Guangxi and Vietnamese localities.

By Huyen Le