VNA Headquarters in Hà Nội. VNA/VNS Photo

BEIJING — Ling Dequan, a long-time expert on Việt Nam, has hailed the Vietnam News Agency (VNA)'s 80-year development journey, underscoring its indispensable and significant influence in Việt Nam and stronger international multimedia communication capacity and impact in recent years.

Talking to a VNA resident correspondent in Beijing, Ling, who is also a former chief representative of China's Xinhua News Agency in Hà Nội, affirmed that the VNA has played a vital role in guiding public opinion and significantly contributed to Việt Nam’s achievements in nearly forty years of the Đổi mới (Renewal) process.

The agency has remained steadfast in following the leadership and directions of the Communist Party of Việt Nam (CPV), constantly innovating in communication and reporting to become the country’s key news agency, he said.

The expert spotlighted the agency’s constant growth in scale, technical capacity, and human resources, expressing his belief that the VNA will further uphold its proud tradition in the new era, contributing to realising centenary development goals set by the CPV.

Regarding the VNA’s role in fostering mutual understanding between the people of Việt Nam and China, Ling noted that for over seventy years, the friendship and cooperation between Xinhua and the VNA have continuously strengthened. He said many of the VNA’s reports, articles, and photos have served as important sources for Xinhua’s coverage of Việt Nam.

Ling said in 1950, Xinhua sent resident correspondents to Việt Nam’s Việt Bắc revolutionary base. With the support of late President Hồ Chí Minh and the leadership of the CPV, Xinhua journalists were the first to report major events such as the Border Campaign and the Điện Biên Phủ Campaign to readers in China and around the world. The VNA, for its part, also sent correspondents to Beijing at an early stage.

According to the expert, along with increasingly close Việt Nam–China cooperation, the VNA’s Chinese-language news has steadily improved in quality, timeliness, and content diversity, becoming a key channel for Chinese readers to quickly grasp developments in Việt Nam, especially those related to politics, society, and people, as well as the growing ties between the two Parties and countries.

The VNA also serves as a bridge promoting exchanges, understanding, and cooperation between the people and businesses of the two nations, he added.

Ling stressed that at this new historic juncture, the top leaders of China and Việt Nam have reached important common perceptions, agreeing to carry forward the tradition of the close Việt Nam – China friendship of both “comrades and brothers”, and further foster high-quality comprehensive strategic cooperation under the shared goal of “six major goals,” thus ensuring steady progress in building a Việt Nam – China community with a shared future.

As the key news agencies of their respective countries, the VNA and Xinhua are working closely together to report on and promote the bilateral relations, he stated.

The VNA, the national news agency under the leadership of the CPV, is Việt Nam’s most prestigious official news organisation. It serves as the primary source for major international media outlets and research institutions to obtain timely information on Việt Nam’s politics, economy, diplomacy, defence, culture, and other fields. For eight decades of its formation and development (September 15, 1945 – 2025), the agency has stood side by side with the nation, recording history, safeguarding the information lifeline, and affirming its role as the official voice of Việt Nam at home and abroad. — VNA/VNS