News Analysis: China, Vietnam join hands to consolidate bilateral relations

Chinese President Xi Jinping will pay a state visit to Vietnam from November 5 to November 6, with analysts saying the trip will definitely advance bilateral relations.

In recent years, China and Vietnam have witnessed more frequent exchanges of high-ranking leaders, closer economic and trade relations as well as people-to-people and cultural exchanges.

According to observers, despite several existing issues in bilateral relations, the similarities in political systems and development paths between the two neighboring countries have help the ongoing cooperation and friendly ties and inevitability for both sides.

MORE FREQUENT HIGH-LEVEL EXCHANGES

In 2014, Chinese State Councilor Yang Jiechi paid two visits to Vietnam in June and October.

Le Hong Anh, special envoy of Vietnam's party chief Nguyen Phu Trong, visited China in August.

In November, Vietnamese President Truong Tan Sang attended the 22nd Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders' Meeting in Beijing.

While in Beijing at the APEC meeting, the Vietnamese president met with Xi Jinping. During the meeting, Xi said both sides should make joint efforts to strengthen development momentum of bilateral relations and promote the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership.

The two sides should focus on enhancing communication

so as to drive the bilateral relations in the right direction, Xi said.

In December 2014, Yu Zhengsheng, member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference paid a visit to Vietnam.

During the visit, Yu vowed to enhance high-level

exchanges with Vietnam, increase mutual trust and promote bilateral ties moving in the correct direction.

The exchanges of high-level visits in 2015 have also been strengthening and intensifying.

In April 2015, General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Nguyen Phu Trong paid a visit to China. During the visit, the two sides announced in a joint communiqué that both countries are major neighboring countries with similarities in political systems and

development paths.

The development of one country can be seen as

significant opportunities for the other, the statement said.

Also in April, Chinese State Councilor and Public Security Minister Guo Shengkun visited Vietnam. Later in July, Chinese Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli, paid a visit to the country.

During the visit, Zhang emphasized that the joint efforts by Chinese and Vietnamese parties, states and peoples in the path of adhering to the communist party leadership and socialist mechanism are of common destiny with strategic significance.

In mid-September, Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc visited China to attend the 12th China-ASEAN Expo and the China-ASEAN Business and Investment Summit.

Earlier in September, Vietnamese President Truong Tan Sang attended the ceremony marking the 70th anniversary of the Chinese People's War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War in Beijing.

At the meeting with Sang, Chinese President Xi Jinping said due to the joint efforts of the two sides, the relations between China and Vietnam have developed steadily.

The two sides have reached an important consensus on strengthening the implementation of the Belt and

Road and Two Corridors, One Economic Belt initiatives, as well as production capacity cooperation and contributing to creating a strong momentum for the development of the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership.

CLOSER TRADE, ECONOMIC TIES

Since the change in momentum to boost bilateral relations, China and Vietnam have experienced further development in economic, trade and cultural cooperation.

Construction of the blast furnace of a steel plant, a joint project between China and Vietnam, is expected to be completed at the end of this year.

Meanwhile, cargo trucks fully-loaded with Vietnamese

agro-forestry-fishery products are often seen queuing up in long lines at Vietnam-China border gates.

Leading economists have said the trade and economic relations between China and Vietnam have been continuously strengthening.

BROADER SPACE FOR CULTURAL EXCHANGES

In recent years, people-to-people and cultural exchanges between the two countries have been continuously strengthened.

Various activities, including forums, seminars, visits and exchanges between experts, scholars and media, as well as young people, have contributed to strengthening the friendship and mutual understanding

between the two peoples.

Specifically, in December 2014, during his visit to Vietnam, Yu Zhengsheng attended the inauguration of the Confucius Institute at the Hanoi University.

In September this year, the Confucius Institute has

organized many activities to celebrate Mid-Autumn Festival with the participation of teachers and students from 10 universities which have a Chinese language department in Vietnam.

These activities helped increase Vietnamese young people's understanding of Chinese culture, thus uniting the youth of both countries.

China and Vietnam have huge potential and space for further cooperation in the field of cultural exchanges.

The two sides can advance cultural and people-to-people exchanges to a higher level, so as to make people-to-people relations an impetus to promote country-to-country relations.

The friendly cooperation between China and Vietnam is in line with the fundamental interests of both countries and peoples, and is conducive to peace, stability and prosperity in the region.

There are a myriad reasons to believe that the relationship between China and Vietnam will continuously move forward in mutually positive directions, observers said. Enditem