Consul General Bùi Nguyên Long. VNA/VNS Photo

BEIJING — Việt Nam’s opening of its Consulate General in Chongqing, China, has marked not only a significant event for Việt Nam’s diplomatic sector but also a historic milestone in the relationship between the two countries, serving as concrete evidence of the promising prospects for their future strategic cooperation.

Consul General Bùi Nguyên Long said that this is the first time the Vietnamese Government has established a diplomatic mission in western China - a region with tremendous potential for comprehensive collaboration with Việt Nam.

The Consulate General’s consular jurisdiction covers Chongqing city and Sichuan province, both of which hold strategic importance in China’s development plans, as well as in the overall framework of Việt Nam–China ties.

As Việt Nam has set an economic growth target of over 8 per cent in 2025 and aimed for double-digit growth until 2030, strengthening cooperation with the Southwestern region of China, which currently accounts for more than 10 per cent of total bilateral trade, will open up opportunities across all sectors, particularly in areas where Chongqing and Sichuan have strong advantages and Việt Nam has development needs, such as modern transport and logistics, infrastructure connectivity, high technology, industrial production, renewable energy, sustainable tourism, and high-quality human resources training, said Long.

According to the diplomat, strengthening infrastructure connectivity with Chongqing and Sichuan will enable Việt Nam to gradually gain deeper and more convenient access to the Chinese market while promoting the export of goods and services to the European region. In practice, compared with cargo shipping from Việt Nam to Europe, railway transport through Southwest China offers equal costs but can reduce delivery time to just one-third.

Moreover, the economies of these two localities complement Việt Nam’s key industries. Chongqing and Sichuan boast developed industrial sectors with a strong focus on research and development (R&D) and high-tech manufacturing, particularly in automobile production, electric vehicle batteries, electronic components, and semiconductors. As a result, this cooperation will not only benefit localities but also create opportunities for Vietnamese enterprises to access and adopt advanced, cutting-edge technologies, he assessed.

In the context that the Việt Nam–China Comprehensive Strategic Cooperative Partnership and the building of a community with a shared future are entering a new phase of substantive development, Long emphasised that there is vast potential for cooperation between Vietnamese localities and Chongqing and Sichuan.

In the time to come, the Consulate General will proactively study and share the valuable experiences of Chongqing and Sichuan with Vietnamese localities, while promoting effective cooperation between localities and businesses of both countries, thus creating optimal conditions for friendship exchanges and enhancing mutual understanding between the people of Việt Nam and those of Chongqing and Sichuan, he said.

It will actively step up cultural, artistic, and historical exchanges between the people, scholars, and postgraduates, based on the fact that both Việt Nam and China have rich, distinctive cultures, diverse culinary traditions, and a wide range of arts, sharing many similarities while also possessing unique characteristics of their own.

The Consulate General will pay attention to strengthening connections with local education authorities, reputable universities, and educational institutions in the two localities, particularly in fields such as medicine, electronics, engineering, construction, and artificial intelligence (AI); and enhancing coordination with relevant agencies and organisations to hold promotional activities showcasing Việt Nam’s tourism potential and scenic attractions to local visitors, added Long. VNA/VNS