Phan Anh Sơn, Chairman of the Việt Nam Union of Friendship Organisations (fifth, left) and President of the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries Yang Wanming (sixth, right) and other delegates at the 12th Việt Nam-China People's Forum in Xiangtan City, Hunan Province, China. — Photo from Việt Nam Union of Friendship Organisations

XIANGTAN — The Việt Nam-China friendship is a shared asset that must be cherished and promoted by all levels of society and across organisations such as the Việt Nam Union of Friendship Organisations and the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries.

This was affirmed at the 12th Việt Nam-China People's Forum, jointly organised by both sides on Tuesday and Wednesday in Xiangtan City, Hunan Province, China.

The conference focused on three major topics of politics and international relations, economic and trade relations and cultural and academic cooperation.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Phan Anh Sơn, Chairman of the Việt Nam Union of Friendship Organisations said that Việt Nam and China were neighbouring countries, with mountains and rivers connected.

The traditional friendship between the two peoples was diligently cultivated by President Hồ Chí Minh and Chairman Mao Zedong, along with other senior leaders.

Phan Anh Sơn, Chairman of the Việt Nam Union of Friendship Organisations delivers his speech at the 12th Việt Nam-China People's Forum.— Photo from Việt Nam Union of Friendship Organisations

Both Parties, Governments and peoples had supported each other in their struggles for national liberation and building, fostering a profound camaraderie described as "both comrades and brothers".

Sơn also added that the 12th forum was taking place at a particularly significant location, in China’s Chairman Mao Zedong’s hometown, and at a particularly significant time, following historic visits by Vietnamese Party General Secretary Nguyễn Phú Trọng to China in October 2022 and Chinese Party General Secretary and President Xi Jinping to Việt Nam in December 2023.

“Both parties and countries have established a new positioning for bilateral relations, constructing a China-Việt Nam Future Sharing Community with strategic significance,” he said.

At the forum, President of the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries Yang Wanming reviewed the bilateral relationship, underscoring the importance of President Xi Jinping's 2023 visit to Việt Nam.

The visit deepened and elevated the Comprehensive Strategic Cooperative Partnership, building the China-Việt Nam Future Sharing Community with a strategic direction of 'six mores' creating opportunities for expanded cooperation between the two countries.

He stressed that the Communist Party of China and the Communist Party of Việt Nam were the largest communist parties in the world, responsible for leading their nations in contributing to global peace.

Phan Anh Sơn, Chairman of the Việt Nam Union of Friendship Organisations (left) meets with Hunan Province’s Party Secretary Shen Xiaoming in Hunan Province, China. — Photo Việt Nam Union of Friendship Organisations

Previously, Hunan Province’s Party Secretary Shen Xiaoming received delegations from the Việt Nam Union of Friendship Organisations and the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries.

During the reception, he told visitors about Hunan Province, noting it had the eighth largest population in China (over 66 million people), the ninth highest GDP (over US$500 billion) and was the tenth largest area (over 211,800 sq.km).

Many Hunan enterprises had invested in Việt Nam, notably Lens Technology Group, considered the world’s largest screen manufacturer, which is in Bắc Ninh Province.

He also showed delegates the eight sandalwood trees gifted by President Hồ Chí Minh to Chairman Mao Zedong in 1965, planted at the Hunan Province’s Party Committee headquarters.— VNS