On the afternoon of October 26, at the headquarters of the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT), Deputy Minister Luong Hoang Thai met with a delegation from China’s State Council Research Office led by Fan Bi, Deputy Director of the Office.  

Representing the MoIT at the meeting were leaders of the Department of Foreign Market Development and Multilateral Trade; the Agency of Foreign Trade; the Electricity Authority of Viet Nam; the Viet Nam Industry Agency; the Viet Nam Trade Promotion Agency; and the Department of Science, Technology and Digital Transformation.

Opening the meeting, Deputy Minister Luong Hoang Thai affirmed that despite complex global developments, economic and trade relations between Viet Nam and China had continued to grow in recent years, delivering positive results. In the first nine months of 2026, Viet Nam became China’s third-largest trading partner worldwide, while China remained one of Viet Nam’s largest economic and trade partners.

Fan Bi, head of the Chinese delegation, said the State Council Research Office, which conducts strategic research and advises on China’s macroeconomic policies, had organized the visit to conduct field research and meet with several Vietnamese ministries and agencies. The delegation aimed to gain a better understanding of Viet Nam - China cooperation in the economy, trade, production, supply chains and cross-border economic activities.

At the meeting, the two sides held open discussions on issues of mutual concern. Key topics included shifting from informal border trade to formal trade channels, developing smart border gates, facilitating customs clearance, preventing goods bearing counterfeit origin information or labels from being exported to third countries, and identifying ways to promote cross-border economic cooperation between Viet Nam and China.

Deputy Minister Luong Hoang Thai emphasized that geographical proximity and the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership between the two countries offered significant potential for closer cooperation. Beyond trade, Viet Nam encouraged Chinese investment and technology transfer in areas such as transport infrastructure, electric vehicles and lithium batteries, renewable energy, smart manufacturing and supporting industries.

According to data from Viet Nam Customs, bilateral trade between Viet Nam and China reached USD 253.2 billion in the first nine months of 2026, up 37.6% year on year. Viet Nam’s exports to China totalled USD 65.9 billion, an increase of 32.9%, while imports from China reached USD 187.3 billion, up 39.3%.