Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son welcomes Secretary of the Party Committee of China’s Hainan province, Shen Xiaoming. Photo: TG&VN

Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son hosted a reception for the Secretary of the Party Committee of China’s Hainan province, Shen Xiaoming, in Hanoi on February 22, VNA reported Wednesday.

The two officials spoke highly of cooperation achievements across fields between Vietnamese localities and Hainan, and compared notes on orientations and measures to promote their friendship and cooperation in the time ahead.

Son suggested Vietnamese and Chinese localities step up meetings and cooperation in such areas as trade and investment, and exchange experience in spheres where Hainan has strengths like climate change response, aquaculture, and agriculture, and especially rice cultivation in the areas affected by saltwater intrusion.

The minister also called for stronger cooperation in tourism, people-to-people exchange, and the restoration of direct flights between the two sides.

Localities should seriously implement the common perceptions reached by high-ranking leaders of the two Parties and countries on the satisfactory settlement of disagreements and working together to maintain peace and stability in the region, Son said.

At the meeting. Photo: TG&VN

He suggested the two sides enhance collaboration in search and rescue operations at sea, help fishermen find storm shelters when necessary, and provide them with humanitarian treatment, matching the friendly neighborliness between the two countries.

For his part, Shen stressed that Hainan attaches importance to cooperation with Vietnamese localities, and stands ready to maintain regular exchanges and meetings.

Hainan will work to facilitate the penetration of Vietnamese goods, particularly agricultural products, into China through Hainan, and serve as a gateway for Chinese firms to invest in Vietnam, thus contributing to the development of the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership between the two countries.

The same day, Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Hong Dien and the visiting Secretary of the Party Committee of Hainan, reached consensus on measures to strengthen trade ties at a meeting in Hanoi on February 22.

Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Hong Dien (R) and the visiting Secretary of the Party Committee of China’s Hainan province, Shen Xiaoming. Photo: VNA

The host official expressed his belief that as the world’s biggest free-trade port, Hainan will play an increasingly important role in trade between Vietnam and China, helping increase Vietnam’s exports and reduce the trade imbalance.

He suggested establishing a trade promotion office of Vietnam in Hainan’s Haikou city; accelerating the opening of the Chinese market to Vietnam’s agricultural products, especially fresh coconut which is in high demand in the province; and cooperating in agricultural processing.

Dien asked Hainan to give assistance and preferential treatment to Vietnamese enterprises to capitalize on e-commerce incentives and take part in major international expos in Hainan.

For his part, Shen voiced his support for Minister Dien’s proposals and affirmed that he will order relevant agencies and localities of Hainan to coordinate with the Vietnamese side to step up the establishment of a trade promotion office in Vietnam.

He also pledged to assign his province’s agencies to work with the Chinese General Administration of Customs to promote the market opening to fresh coconut from Vietnam.

Regarding the upgrade of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on cooperation between the Vietnamese Ministry of Industry and Trade and the Hainan administration, the Secretary showed his support for negotiations to sign the MoU to help facilitate Vietnam’s trade ties with Hainan and China as a whole.

In 2022, trade revenue between Vietnam and Hainan reached USD 1.35 billion, up 56% year on year. That comprised USD 695.2 million in Hainan’s exports and USD 658 million in Vietnam’s exports, respectively rising 171.9% and 7.5%, according to data from the Chinese province.

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