Chinese Premier arrives for official visit to Vietnam

Chinese Premier Li Qiang arrived in Hanoi on October 12 evening, starting a three-day official visit to Vietnam at the invitation of Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, according to a report from the Vietnam News Agency.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son, and Standing Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Minh Vu welcomed the Chinese leader and his entourage at the Noi Bai International Airport.

According to Vietnamese Ambassador to China Pham Sao Mai, this is the first visit to Vietnam by a Chinese premier in 11 years and also the first by Mr. Li as the Chinese Premier, demonstrating the respect of the Chinese Party and State and Mr. Li himself for the relations with Vietnam.

The trip takes place in the context that the two nations are gearing towards the 75th anniversary of their diplomatic relations (January 18, 1950-2025) as well as following the state visits by General Secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and President of China Xi Jinping to Vietnam in December 2023 and General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and State President To Lam to China in August, and a tour of China by Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh for the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting of the New Champions and working sessions in the country in June.

The visit is a continuation of the tradition of high-level exchanges between the two Parties and two countries, and is of great significance in further strengthening the Comprehensive Strategic Cooperative Partnership, promoting the building of a Vietnam-China community of a shared future that carries strategic significance in the direction of “six major goals”.

During his stay in Vietnam, Mr. Li is scheduled to have meetings with Party General Secretary and State President To Lam and Chairman of the National Assembly Tran Thanh Man, and hold talks with his counterpart Pham Minh Chinh, the ambassador said, adding the high-ranking leaders of both sides will discuss measures to continue effectively realizing the common perceptions reached by the top leaders of the two parties and states and to further consolidate political trust.

Of note, the two PMs will focus their discussion on specific solutions to expanding and improving the efficiency and quality of cooperation areas, thus deepening substantive collaboration and bringing benefits to the two countries' people, Ambassador Mai said.