HCMC – Vietnam’s Party General Secretary and State President To Lam met with Guangxi Party Secretary Chen Gang on April 16 in Nanning City, agreeing to strengthen cooperation in trade, infrastructure, and technology between Vietnam and China’s Guangxi region.
The meeting took place during To Lam’s state visit to China, with both sides highlighting growing ties between Vietnamese localities and Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, reported local media.
To Lam said Guangxi has achieved notable development progress and expressed confidence that it will continue advancing as a modern and prosperous region. He also noted Guangxi’s historical support for Vietnam and called for stronger cooperation leveraging geographic proximity and longstanding ties.
Chen Gang said Guangxi views Vietnam as a close neighbor and a key partner. He affirmed the region’s commitment to expanding cooperation with Vietnamese localities and implementing high-level agreements between the two countries’ leaders.
Both sides acknowledged steady progress in bilateral exchanges, including frequent official visits and expanded cooperation in trade, science, and technology. Vietnam has remained Guangxi’s largest trading partner for 27 consecutive years.
Looking ahead, To Lam proposed breakthroughs in five areas: policy coordination, trade and economic links, logistics infrastructure, science and technology, and social connectivity. He called for closer coordination in development planning, stronger economic integration, and smoother customs clearance to support supply chains and market access.
He also emphasized accelerating multimodal transport links, including rail, road, and sea connections, with priority given to railway projects such as the Lang Son–Hanoi and Mong Cai–Halong–Haiphong lines.
In science and technology, To Lam urged expanded cooperation in artificial intelligence and the deployment of projects in green agriculture, renewable energy, and high-tech processing in Vietnam.
He also called for effective land border management, timely resolution of arising issues, and stronger people-to-people exchanges, including tourism cooperation under the Vietnam–China Tourism Cooperation Year 2026–2027.
Chen Gang backed the proposals and said Guangxi would develop concrete plans to implement bilateral agreements. He highlighted the region’s focus on emerging sectors such as AI and big data, and its willingness to expand cooperation with Vietnam in these areas.
He added that Guangxi is ready to increase imports of high-quality Vietnamese agricultural products, both for local consumption and distribution to other parts of China. He also proposed accelerating pilot smart border gates to facilitate trade and strengthening exchanges between people in Guangxi and Vietnamese localities.
