On arrival, National Assembly Chairman Vương Đình Huệ is welcomed at the Beijing Capital International Airport by the Vietnamese community representatives. — VNA/VNS Photo Nhan Sáng

BEIJING — Chairman of the National Assembly Vương Đình Huệ and the Vietnamese high-level delegation arrived in Beijing, China, on Sunday afternoon, beginning the official visit from April 7-12, at the invitation of Zhao Leji, Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress of China.

Welcoming the top legislator and the delegation at Beijing Capital International Airport were Vice Chairperson of the NPC Standing Committee Wang Dongming, along with other senior officials of the NPC.

The Vietnamese Ambassador to China Phạm Sao Mai, the embassy staff, and representatives of the Vietnamese community in China were also present to welcome the delegation.

Accompanying the top Vietnamese legislator are Secretary of the Party Central Committee and head of the committee’s Mass Mobilisation Commission Bùi Thị Minh Hoài; Senior Lieutenant General Trần Quang Phương, NA Vice Chairman and Chairman of the Việt Nam-China Friendship Parliamentarians’ Group; Deputy Prime Minister Trần Lưu Quang; NA General Secretary and Chairman of the NA Office Bùi Văn Cường, among other officials.

This is the first visit to China by Vương Đình Huệ as Chairman of the National Assembly, and also the first visit to China by a Chairman of the National Assembly of Việt Nam in five years.

This is also the first direct meeting between the heads of the two countries' legislatures after the 13th National Congress of the Communist Party of Việt Nam and the 20th Congress of the Communist Party of China.

It is taking place in the context that the two countries celebrated the 73rd anniversary of their diplomatic relations and 15 years of bilateral comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership in 2023.

The visit is of great significance in maintaining high-level contacts, implementing, and concretising the common understanding between the highest leaders of the two Parties and states; it not only contributes to strengthening cooperation between the two legislative bodies but also represents high-level strategic exchanges between the two Parties and states of Việt Nam-China.

Two-way trade reached US$133.09 billion in 2020, $165.9 billion in 2021, $175 billion in 2022, and $171.9 billion in 2023, according to Việt Nam customs data.

In the first two months of 2024, the figure hit $27.3 billion.

Regarding investment, as of March 2024, China had invested $27.64 billion in Việt Nam with 4,418 valid projects, ranking sixth among the 145 countries and territories investing in Việt Nam.

In 2023 alone, China invested $4.47 billion in Việt Nam, an increase of 77.5 per cent, ranking 4th among the foreign investors, but leading in the number of new projects. In the first quarter of 2024, China led in the number of the new FDI projects in Việt Nam, accounting for 27.8 per cent. — VNS