Vietnam welcomes Guangdong investment in infrastructure: Party chief

Vietnam welcomes businesses of China’s Guangdong province to expand high-quality investment in infrastructure, Party General Secretary and State President To Lam has stated, as the two countries seek to enhance transport links for more robust trade and tourism exchanges.

At a meeting with Secretary of Guangdong's Party Committee Huang Kunming on Sunday, the first day of his ongoing visit to China, Lam also called for the province’s investment in digital transformation and green growth.

This is Lam’s first overseas trip after taking office as Vietnam's Party chief on August 3, following the passing of Nguyen Phu Trong.

Trong visited Beijing in October 2022 and received his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping in Hanoi in December 2023.

Lam paid state visits to Laos and Cambodia in July, two months after being sworn in as State President.

At the meeting on Sunday, Lam shared that his visit is to discuss with Party General Secretary and President Xi Jinping and other key leaders of China measures to continue deepening and elevating the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership between the two countries and building a Vietnam-China community with a shared future that carries strategic significance.

The Vietnamese leader affirmed that Vietnam always attaches importance and gives top priority to developing ties with China.

He also suggested that Guangdong and Vietnamese localities promote regular exchanges and cooperation, and strengthen substantive cooperation in all fields, especially in trade, investment and strategic connectivity.

In reply, Huang affirmed that the Party Committee and administration of Guangdong province treasure relations with Vietnam and its localities and vowed to work with potential localities of Vietnam to enhance friendship exchanges and substantive cooperation across the board.

Guangdong, located in southern China with a population of some 130 million, is Vietnam’s largest trading partner among Chinese localities, accounting for one-fifth of trade between the two countries.

According to Chinese customs data, trade between Vietnam and Guangdong reached $48.24 billion in 2023, with Vietnam sending $22.89 billion worth of goods.

Vietnamese localities such as Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Binh Duong, and Can Tho have set up sisterhoods with several cities of Guangdong.