At the meeting between Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh (R) and Chairman of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region Lan Tianli in Kunming, Yunnan, on November 6. (Photo: VNA)

At the meeting held as part of the PM’s attendance at the eighth Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) Summit and working trip to China, PM Pham Minh Chinh noted that Guangxi is where Vietnamese President Ho Chi Minh conducted revolutionary activities for the longest period, and highlighted the support and assistance shared by the Chinese locality and Vietnam during the sides’ respective national liberation and development causes. Lan affirmed that Guangxi highly values its friendly exchanges and mutually beneficial cooperation with Vietnamese ministries, sectors, and localities, contributing to the overall relationship between the two Parties and nations.

The two sides praised the significant recent progress in Vietnam-Guangxi cooperation, particularly key achievements in all-level delegation exchanges, economic and trade collaboration, land border management cooperation, transport connectivity, opening and upgrading of border gates and people-to-people exchanges. Vietnam has maintained its position as Guangxi's largest trading partner for the past 25 years.

The PM expressed his hope that the two sides will continue to focus on their effective realisation of high-level perceptions in the time to come. He said the spring meeting programme between Party secretaries and the joint working committee meeting between Guangxi and Vietnam’s provinces of Quang Ninh, Lang Son, Cao Bang, and Ha Giang should be fully leveraged.

He recommended expanding collaboration on key infrastructure projects, including the development of standard-gauge railway lines connecting Guangxi with Vietnam, and advancing a pilot model of smart border checkpoints. He also requested Guangxi further facilitate the import of Vietnamese goods, particularly farm produce. He welcomed Guangxi enterprises to expand investment in Vietnam, particularly in sectors like green agriculture, clean energy, and sustainable development.

The government leader called on the sides to expedite their research and development of a pilot cross-border economic cooperation zone and work together in digital economy, power, and clean energy. He emphasised the need for continued close coordination in border management as well as the upgrade and establishment of new pairs of border gates and crossings along the shared land border, as agreed upon by both sides. It is important to safely and efficiently operate the landscape site of Ban Gioc (Vietnam) - Detian (China) waterfalls, he added. Agreeing with the PM, the Guangxi leader pledged to promote cooperation between the region and Vietnam, deepen friendship exchanges with Vietnamese localities, and advance both road and rail connectivity. He also committed to quickly implementing pilot smart border checkpoints and stepping up measures to facilitate customs clearance.

Lan said he wishes to further expand the scale and quality of the sides’ trade and investment cooperation as well as improve their customs efficiency and collaboration on digital economy and electricity trading. He also stressed the importance of strengthening border management and enhancing cross-border crime prevention cooperation, contributing to deepening the two countries’ comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership, bringing tangible benefits to their localities and people./.