Local-to-local cooperation becomes integral part of Viet Nam-China relations

Tran, who is head of the Viet Nam-China Steering Committee for Bilateral Cooperation, made the above remarks on Monday at the opening ceremony of the 10^th Conference on cooperation in the economic corridor between Viet Nam's four localities: Ha Noi, Lao Cai, Hai Phong, and Quang Ninh, and China's Yunnan province.

Thanks to both sides' joint efforts, the bilateral ties have advanced positively over the past time with many major achievements, said the Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister.

He highlighted the historic significance of Vietnamese Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong's visit to China in October last year, which has opened up a new era for the development of the relations between the two Parties and the two States.

Regarding cooperation in the economic corridor, Tran emphasized that the close geographical proximity between the four localities of Viet Nam and Yunnan has allowed them to formulate the traditional friendship and long-lasting cooperation.

Cooperation mechanisms between Viet Nam's four localities and China's Yunnan province have contributed positively to developing supply and production chains, enhancing infrastructure connectivity, promoting cooperation in culture, education, and tourism, and consolidating the shared border of peace and friendship between the two countries, Deputy Prime Minister Tran stressed.

He spoke highly of Yunnan's strong determination to accelerate cooperation with Vietnamese localities, particularly in such areas of economy, trade, investment and tourism, reaffirming that leaders of the Party and the State of Viet Nam attach great importance to, and have promulgated a number of guidelines and policies to facilitate the development of the northern localities and the expansion of cooperation with Chinese localities, including Yunnan province.

Regarding ways ahead, Tran suggested the two countries promote the role of the existing cooperation mechanisms while mulling over the establishment of new frameworks and models to create more breakthroughs in economic, trade and investment linkages between the two countries.

He also suggested both sides step up transport connectivity, especially cross-border road and railway connectivity; strengthen cooperation for management and use of water resources in a safe, effective and sustainable manner, contributing to ensuring energy and food security, poverty reduction, and improvement of people's living standards.

Both sides should work closely together to speed up the opening and upgrading of border gates as planned and create more favorable conditions for border residents to settle their lives and enhance trade exchanges, Tran said.

He called on local authorities to double their efforts, be more active and creative to contribute to the realization of the high-level agreements and perceptions reached by the two countries' leaders in order to ensure the increasingly sustainable development of the Viet Nam-China comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership./.