On the morning of March 17, 2026, at the Government Headquarters, Deputy Prime Minister Bui Thanh Son and Politburo Member, Chairman of the Office of the Central Committee for Foreign Affairs, Minister of Foreign Affairs of China Wang Yi co-chaired the 17th Meeting of the Vietnam - China Bilateral Cooperation Steering Committee.
The two sides agreed that Vietnam-China relations in the past time have achieved positive results. China continues to be Vietnam's largest trading partner, Vietnam is China's 4th largest trading partner with many high-value agricultural products; strategic connectivity between the two countries, especially railways, has made much progress; local cooperation and people-to-people exchanges are taking place actively; multilateral cooperation is closer.
Regarding the focus of cooperation in the coming time, Deputy Prime Minister Bui Thanh Son proposed that the two sides promote the establishment of an intergovernmental working group in key areas; give high priority to railway cooperation, soon complete 3 standard gauge railway projects connecting the two countries in parallel with allocating loans to Vietnam with preferential interest rates, technology transfer, railway human resource training; create conditions for Vietnam to open more trade promotion offices in China; continue to open markets for Vietnamese agricultural and aquatic products such as exploited seafood, grapefruit, soon re-import Vietnamese flower lobster and strengthen cooperation on standards.
The Deputy Prime Minister also wished that the two sides would promote high-quality and high-tech investment from China into Vietnam, accelerate the handling of obstacles in some aid projects; strengthen energy infrastructure and border gates, including increasing the capacity and output of electricity imported from China, ensuring fuel supply, expanding the smart border gate model, and deploying the construction of border economic cooperation zones.
Agreeing with the cooperation proposals of Deputy Prime Minister Bui Thanh Son, Minister Wang Yi affirmed that China values promoting mutually beneficial cooperation with Vietnam, is ready to share development opportunities, support Vietnam in building an independent and self-reliant economy; is ready to expand imports of high-quality goods, especially agricultural products, and promote balanced trade.
Minister Wang Yi affirmed that China will actively promote the progress of deploying 3 railway lines and cooperate on capital, technology, and railway human resource training; encourage Chinese businesses to expand investment in Vietnam.
Minister Wang Yi also proposed that the two sides strengthen cooperation in emerging fields such as high technology, innovation, and clean energy.
The two sides frankly exchanged views on issues at sea, agreed to continue to seriously implement the high-level common understanding, better control and resolve disagreements, and maintain peace and stability in the East Sea.
Deputy Prime Minister Bui Thanh Son requested the two sides to put themselves in each other's shoes, respect each other's sovereignty and legitimate interests in accordance with international law, especially the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS); continue to promote the role of maritime negotiation mechanisms, promote early reaching an effective and substantive Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC).
