PM arrives in Kunming, beginning activities in China

Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính arrived at Kunming Changshui International Airport on Tuesday morning. — VNA/VNS Photo Dương Giang

KUNMING — Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính and his entourage arrived at Kunming Changshui International Airport in China’s Yunnan province on November 5 morning, starting their working trip to attend the 8th Greater Mekong Sub-region (GMS) Summit and hold bilateral activities in the country.

Chính's four-day trip, made at the invitation of Chinese Premier Li Qiang, also includes attendance at the 10th Ayeyawady-Chao Phraya-Mekong Economic Cooperation Strategy (ACMECS) Summit, and the 11th Cambodia-Laos-Myanmar-Vietnam (CLMV) Cooperation Summit.

Welcoming him at the airport were Liu Fei, member of the standing board and head of the organisation commission of the Yunnan provincial Party Committee; Chinese Ambassador to Việt Nam He Wei; and Vietnamese Ambassador to China Phạm Sao Mai, among others.

These are the first in-person high-level activities of the GMS, ACMECS, and CLMV mechanisms since 2018. Việt Nam views these cooperation platforms as strategic venues to connect with top partners and enhance international support for the Mekong sub-region's development.

Việt Nam's active and proactive participation in these mechanisms reflects its commitment to contributing to the common interests of the region, improving sub-regional cooperation effectiveness, and effectively pooling external resources for national development.

This working trip comes at a time when Việt Nam-China good neighbourliness is flourishing, characterised by the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership and a community with a shared future that carries strategic significance. The highlight is high-level visits between the two countries' leaders in recent times.

Economic cooperation, trade, and investment between Việt Nam and China have seen substantial strides, with two-way trade reaching US$171.9 billion in 2023. China remains Việt Nam's largest trade partner and second largest export market. Meanwhile, Việt Nam is China's largest trade partner in ASEAN and its fifth largest globally.

The trip underscores Việt Nam's message of valuing and contributing to the promotion of the GMS, ACMECS, and CLMV mechanisms, as well as overall Mekong sub-regional cooperation, creating a breakthough in the new phase of development. At the same time, it aims to continue strengthening and boosting friendly neighbourliness and the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership between the two countries and the Việt Nam - China community with a shared future that carries strategic significance.