Vietnam News Today (Apr. 20): Vietnam, China to Deepen Ties with Strategic Future Vision

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Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.

Vietnam, China to deepen ties with strategic future vision

Vietnam and China have agreed to elevate their comprehensive strategic cooperation to a more substantive and higher-quality level, according to Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.

Speaking to the press following Party General Secretary and President of China Xi Jinping’s visit to three Southeast Asian countries, including Vietnam, Wang noted that 2025 marks the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries. Xi chose Vietnam as the first stop of his overseas visits this year, while To Lam selected China as his first foreign destination after assuming the role of General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam last year.

The fact that the two leaders made reciprocal visits within a year, Wang said, fully shows the strategic importance and high-level nature of Vietnam–China relations.

Wang emphasized that during Xi's visit, the two sides pledged to speed up the building of a China–Vietnam community with a shared future of strategic significance, and to jointly enhance the socialist cause in a rapidly changing global landscape.

According to Wang, the strategic guidance provided by the top Party and State leaders of both countries is the greatest advantage and the most important political foundation for the development of bilateral ties.

During the visit, Xi and Lam held an in-depth discussion on strategic and long-term issues, further deepened their engagement through two tea talks, and Xi also met with President Luong Cuong, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, and National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man.

The Chinese official quoted Xi as reaffirming that China will continue to support Vietnam in pursuing a socialist path tailored to its national conditions, in preparing for the 14th National Party Congress, and in advancing the long-term goals of the Party and the nation, cited VOV.

As part of the visit, the two countries issued a joint statement and signed 45 cooperation documents aimed at promoting effective, high-quality, and substantive collaboration, while strengthening the connection between their respective development strategies.

Wang hailed the expansion and upgrade of railway cooperation as a demonstration of both countries’ determination to pursue shared development. With the launch of the China–Vietnam railway cooperation mechanism, the two sides aim to achieve full connectivity of standard-gauge railway lines, while enhancing cross-border transport capacity, reducing logistics costs, and enabling seamless integration of their supply chains.

This initiative will further extend the new western land–sea corridor, inject fresh momentum into the China–Indochina Peninsula Economic Corridor, and is expected to become a landmark project under the high-quality Belt and Road Initiative between the two nations.

2025 is also the Year of China-Vietnam Humanistic Exchange, during which Xi and Vietnamese leaders jointly met with participants of a friendship gathering and reaffirmed that the strength and foundation of bilateral ties lie in the people.

Against the backdrop of global change, Wang said, the peaceful development of China and Vietnam as two socialist countries contributes to valuable global stability. Their friendship and cooperation fully embody a progressive spirit. Standing at a new historical starting point, China and Vietnam will work together to follow the vision set out by their top leaders, thus making new contributions to the global socialist cause and to the development of humanity as a whole.

Vietnam, EU strengthen judicial cooperation

Chief Justice of the Supreme People's Court of Vietnam Le Minh Tri hosted a reception for EU Ambassador to Vietnam Julien Guerrier in Hanoi on April 18, during which he praised the diplomat for helping enhance the capacity of Vietnam’s judicial institutions.

At the event, Tri thanked the ambassador for his bridging role and acknowledged that the Supreme People’s Court has benefited from the EU Justice and Legal Empowerment Program in Vietnam (EU JULE), including law research and making initiatives like the Law on Mediation and Dialogue at Court, family and juvenile courts, and the development of a code of conduct for judges.

Briefing the guest on recent achievements and key priorities of Vietnam's court system, Tri said that the Supreme People's Court is implementing organisational restructuring to ensure a streamlined, efficient, and effective judicial apparatus, while executing a digital transformation plan across the court system.

The Chief Justice expressed his confidence that building upon the results of the EU JULE project’s Phase 1 (2018–2024), the EU’s support in the next phase will help address challenges in strengthening the effectiveness and efficiency of Vietnam's legal and judicial institutions, developing a rule-of-law socialist State of Vietnam, and improving legal and judicial services for citizens, according to VNA.

Chief Justice of the Supreme People's Court of Vietnam Le Minh Tri (right) receives EU Ambassador to Vietnam Julien Guerrier on April 18. (Photo: VNA)

He also laid stress on the robust Vietnam – EU relations over the past years, flourishing in the areas of political – diplomatic affairs, defence – security, science – technology, cybersecurity, education – training, climate change response, and legal and judicial matters.

The EU diplomat, for his part, stated that over the past three decades, the EU has actively supported Vietnam's sustainable development, affirming that with their flourishing relationship, Vietnam has become the EU's leading trade partner in ASEAN.

He held that through the EU JULE project, the Supreme People's Court will be able to strengthen its judicial capacity, noting a robust judicial system serves as a powerful instrument for national development while creating positive impacts for European businesses and investors in Vietnam.

The EU Ambassador voiced his expectation for continued effective cooperation in the coming years.

Pho Festival 2025 promotes Vietnamese culinary heritage to the world

Pho Festival 2025, themed "The Essence of Vietnamese Pho – A Heritage in the Digital Era," officially opened on April 18 at the Thang Long Imperial Citadel in Hanoi, gathering more than 50 renowned pho brands from across the country.

The event featured 50 booths from businesses and pho culinary brands representing all three regions of Vietnam, contributing to the promotion of Vietnamese pho’s image and brand globally.

Visitors had the opportunity to sample well-known pho brands such as Thin Bo Ho, Tu Lun, Hoang Gia, and Van Cu, while also discovering unique variations like Ha Giang Corn Pho and Da Lat Artichoke Pho.

A standout feature of the festival was the use of an AI-powered chatbot that provided personalized information about distinct pho dishes based on individual preferences and tastes, VOV reported.

Visitors at the Pho Festival 2025 (Photo: plo.vn)

Locals and tourists also had the chance to visit the "Pho Story" space, which showcased the development journey of this beloved dish throughout history.

In addition, several engaging activities were held, including a talk show with experts and artisans discussing the preservation and promotion of pho heritage, pho tastings, cooking demonstrations, and a section dedicated to Hanoi lotus tea and old-style beer.

Pho Festival 2025 is due to run until the end of April 20.

Hanoi eyes to expand cooperation with Czech localities

A delegation from the Hanoi People's Council led by its Permanent Vice Chairwoman Phung Thi Hong Ha paid a working visit to the Czech Republic from April 16 to 19.

During meetings with leaders and working sessions with the business community in localities of the Central European country, the two sides discussed many measures to further strengthen cooperation in various fields between Hanoi and Czech localities.

Meeting with Mayor of Prague Bohuslav Svoboda, Ha called on the Prague authorities to continue supporting the Vietnamese community, creating favourable conditions for them to live, work, develop, and integrate more effectively into the host society.

For his part, Svoboda highly valued the role, development, and integration of the Vietnamese community in the Czech Republic in general, and in Prague in particular, noting that the Vietnamese are the largest foreign community in Prague.

He said he believes that the Hanoi delegation’s visit will help further strengthen the traditional friendship between the two countries and their capitals, affirming Vietnam will always remain a good friend of the Czech Republic and its people.

Meanwhile, Vojtech Filip, former Deputy Speaker of the Czech Parliament's Chamber of Deputies, and representative of the South Moravian Region, briefed the Hanoi guests on the region's strengths, and suggested the city consider cooperation with the region in areas such as providing glass bottle production lines, environmental sanitation technology, water filtration technology, and healthcare sector, particularly in providing hospital bed accessories for medical facilities in Hanoi.

During the meeting with representatives from Skoda Auto Group, the delegation provided information about Hanoi’s policies, urban planning, and infrastructure development projects, such as elevated urban railway and metro projects. Skoda Auto’s representatives expressed interest in cooperation with Hanoi, particularly in areas aligned with the company's strengths, including providing transportation technology and public urban transport solutions, according to VNA.

Permanent Vice Chairwoman of Hanoi People's Council Phung Thi Hong Ha (R) and Mayor of Prague Bohuslav Svoboda. (Photo: VNA)

In a working session officials of the city of Cheb, the two sides touched upon the possibility to promote and strengthen cooperation, and exchanged experiences in practical areas of mutual interest such as employment opportunities, attracting human resources, developing culture and education, and preserving traditional values.

Speaking at a Vietnam business forum hosted by the Vietnamese Embassy, Ha provided updates on the political and socio-economic situation in Hanoi, highlighting its reforms in mechanisms and policies aimed at encouraging business development and investment in the city.

She emphasized that Hanoi is always ready to create the best possible conditions for Vietnamese businesses in the Czech Republic to invest and do business.

With rapid development in both the scale and number of economic projects, as well as infrastructure, along with around 1,350 traditional craft villages, Hanoi can offer numerous investment and cooperation opportunities, particularly exporting Hanoi's products to the Czech market and the European Union (EU).

During their stay, the Hanoi delegation met with representatives of the Vietnam Association in the European nation, and visited the Sa Pa shopping centers in Prague and Asia Dragon Bazar in Cheb.

Vietnam’s newest terminal opens with smart airport features

The T3 terminal at Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City officially opened on April 19, showcasing a spacious, modern design and luxurious amenities. As the largest domestic terminal in Vietnam, it opened two months ahead of schedule.

The nearly USD 430 million project was developed by Airports Corporation of Vietnam (ACV), with construction starting in late 2022.

T3 is designed to accommodate up to 20 million passengers annually, raising Tan Son Nhat Airport’s total capacity to 50 million passengers per year.

The terminal’s architecture features a sleek, contemporary design with a gently curved roof extending from the terminal to the adjacent commercial and office complex. This design is inspired by Vietnam’s traditional ao dai dress, symbolizing elegance and grace. The roof’s layered structure allows for a variety of viewing angles and enhances the flow of natural light into the interior.

The top floor serves as the check-in area, enclosed by large glass walls offering views of the outside. The flooring is finished with high-quality stone.

Notably, the terminal is equipped with cutting-edge aviation technologies, including ACV’s self-service system allowing passengers to check in via shared-use kiosks and self-drop their baggage. From there, passengers can proceed to the boarding gates via E-gates.

Travelers can complete the entire check-in process using chipped ID cards or digital IDs (VNeID), including baggage drop-off, security checks, and boarding through automatic gates.

The Smart Airport model at T3 integrates biometric technology and artificial intelligence (AI), enabling passengers to complete procedures efficiently from check-in to boarding.

The terminal is outfitted with 90 traditional check-in counters, 20 automated bag drop stations, and 42 self-check-in kiosks.

Behind the check-in area is the bag drop system for luggage handling, VNN reported.

The T3 terminal at Tan Son Nhat Airport opened two months ahead of schedule. Photo: Nguyen Hue

T3 is equipped with 25 security screening gates and multiple automated conveyor belts, helping save time during security clearance.

The waiting areas near the boarding gates are filled with amenities, including retail outlets and children's play areas. Large display screens provide flight status updates at each gate.

A walkway running along the departure gates offers an overhead view of the boarding area.

The Lotus Lounge for business-class travelers, operated by Sasco, is currently the only lounge in service at T3. A representative from Vietnam Airlines confirmed that the airline began operations at T3 today with flights between Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi.

There are 27 boarding gates, of which 13 are connected by jet bridges and 14 served by shuttle buses.

The terminal also features 6 baggage handling islands for departures and 10 for arrivals.

According to ACV, by the end of April, all Vietnam Airlines domestic flights - except for those to Con Dao, Ca Mau, and Rach Gia - will shift to T3. Vietjet Air will follow with its domestic flights.

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