National Assembly (NA) Chairman Trần Thanh Mẫn meets with Chinese Premier Li Qiang on Sunday. VNA/VNS Photo Doãn Tấn

HÀ NỘI — National Assembly (NA) Chairman Trần Thanh Mẫn emphasised that Chinese Premier Li Qiang's visit holds significant importance, as it not only maintains regular high-level strategic exchanges but also accelerates the firming of shared understandings and the implementation of agreements reached during past high-level visits between the two countries' leaders. 

This provides fresh momentum for the development of bilateral relations, particularly in cooperation between the Vietnamese National Assembly and China's National People's Congress.

He made these remarks during his meeting with Premier Li Qiang at the National Assembly House on Sunday. 

NA Chairman Mẫn and Premier Li Qiang reviewed the major achievements in the relationship between the two Parties and the two countries, as well as the cooperation between their legislative bodies, agreeing that the Việt Nam-China relationship is currently at a stage of deepening, comprehensive and substantive development.

Expressing his pleasure and appreciating the positive outcomes from recent meetings between Party General Secretary and State President Tô Lâm, Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính and Premier Li Qiang, NA Chairman Mẫn put forward proposals to further enhance bilateral cooperation. These include accelerating railway and highway connectivity, expanding Việt Nam's agricultural and seafood exports to China, broadening collaboration in the digital economy, green development, renewable energy and organising successful activities for the Việt Nam-China Year of People-to-People Exchange in 2025.

In terms of parliamentary cooperation, the Vietnamese National Assembly and China's National People's Congress would continue to play their legislative and supervisory roles in promoting bilateral relations, exchanging experiences on institutional reforms and building a socialist rule-of-law state under the leadership of the Party.

Regarding maritime issues, both sides must strictly adhere to high-level agreements and common understandings, better manage and resolve disputes at sea and settle differences through peaceful means in accordance with the agreement on basic principles guiding the settlement of maritime issues between Việt Nam and China and international law, particularly UNCLOS 1982.

Premier Li Qiang expressed agreement with NA Chairman Mẫn’s proposals and affirmed that the Chinese Party, State and people were committed to working with Việt Nam to strengthen, preserve and advance the comprehensive friendly neighbourly relations between the two countries. 

He also emphasised the shared goal of building a Việt Nam-China community with a shared future that holds strategic significance, contributing to the modernisation efforts of both countries.

The top Chinese legislator put forward three key proposals to enhance future exchanges and cooperation.

First, he stressed the importance of maintaining regular high-level strategic dialogues between the two Parties and countries to address significant issues in bilateral relations, as well as regional and global matters, ensuring strategic leadership in building the China-Việt Nam community with a shared future. 

Second, he called for expanding legislative cooperation by effectively implementing the cooperation mechanism between China’s National People's Congress and Việt Nam's National Assembly, while inviting NA Chairman Mẫn to visit China to further strengthen exchanges. 

Then he underscored the need to deepen public support for bilateral relations by successfully organising activities for the Việt Nam-China Year of People-to-People Exchange in 2025 and promoting stories of friendship between the two nations' peoples.

On this occasion, NA Chairman Mẫn extended a formal invitation to Chairman of the Standing Committee of China's National People's Congress Zhao Leji to pay an official visit to Việt Nam and co-chair the first session of the Việt Nam-China inter-parliamentary cooperation mechanism. — VNS