Professor Zhu Chenming, honorary director of the Institute of South and Southeast Asian Studies under the Yunnan Academy of Social Sciences. — VNA/VNS Photo

BEIJING — The official visit to China by National Assembly (NA) President Trần Thanh Mẫn marks an important step towards strengthening cooperation between the Vietnamese NA and the National People’s Congress of China (NPC), according to a Chinese scholar.

In an interview with Vietnam News Agency correspondents in Beijing, Professor Zhu Chenming, honorary director of the Institute of South and Southeast Asian Studies under the Yunnan Academy of Social Sciences, said the visit would promote exchanges between the two legislative bodies and contribute to the development of bilateral relations.

It is NA President Mẫn’s first visit to China since the Vietnamese legislature completed its leadership consolidation, and he retained the post following the 14th National Congress of the Communist Party of Việt Nam. The visit also represents another important high-level exchange, building on reciprocal visits by leaders of the two Parties and countries in recent years.

Zhu said the visit demonstrates the importance both countries attach to regular high-level exchanges between Việt Nam and China and their shared commitment to keeping bilateral relations on the right track. It would further strengthen their comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership and advance the building of a Việt Nam-China community with a shared future.

The visit would also help the two legislative bodies implement the common perceptions reached by high-ranking leaders of the two Parties and countries and promote practical cooperation in legislation, he said. Such exchanges could support the implementation of the goals and tasks set out at the 14th National Congress of the CPV. 

A key event during the visit is the second session of the cooperation committee between the Vietnamese NA and the NPC, to be co-chaired by NA President Mẫn.

According to Zhu, the committee provides a mechanism for elevating legislative cooperation. Its first session, held in Việt Nam in August 2025, covered legislation on national security and ways to promote economic, trade, scientific and technological cooperation from a legislative perspective.

While the first session laid the groundwork for the mechanism, the second is expected to institutionalise it and address broader practical issues, including strategic connectivity, professional exchanges between legislative bodies and cooperation among local agencies. 

Zhu stressed that the visit and committee meeting are not merely symbolic but reflect substantive cooperation that could deliver more concrete results in the future.

Assessing bilateral legislative ties, the scholar said cooperation has expanded alongside the rapid development of relations between the two countries. China and Việt Nam share similar socialist systems, providing a solid foundation for cooperation between their legislative bodies and enabling the establishment of regular coordination mechanisms at the legislative level.

Exchanges now extend beyond visits by legislative leaders to specialised committees, parliamentary groups and local people’s councils. The two sides also maintain flexible channels, including online meetings, professional exchanges and friendship groups.

Cooperation has broadened to cover experience-sharing in building rule-of-law states, legislation and oversight in financial and economic affairs.

The two legislative bodies also coordinate at regional and international parliamentary forums, including the Inter-Parliamentary Union and the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly.

Zhu described legislative cooperation as an essential pillar of bilateral relations, saying the two bodies help translate high-level consensus into action and play an irreplaceable role in approving and ratifying important government cooperation agreements where required.

Looking ahead, Zhu said the visit would help advance the six major orientations for deeper cooperation, enhance the sharing of governance experience and support socialist modernisation in both countries.

He expressed hope that the visit would achieve success and generate more effective outcomes from legislative cooperation, making a greater contribution to Việt Nam-China relations. — VNA/VNS