Vietnam, China enjoy developing relationship
The Vietnam-China relationship has seen important developments.
During Party General Secretary Nong Duc Manh’s visit to China in May 2008, the two sides agreed to develop the comprehensive strategic partnership of cooperation under the motto of “friendly neighbourliness, comprehensive cooperation, long-lasting stability and looking towards the future” and in the spirit of “good neighbours, good friends, good comrades and good partners”.
The two countries have basically completed the work of demarcation and landmark planting along their land border line. They agreed to continue implementing agreements on delineation of the Tonkin Gulf and fisheries cooperation in the Tonkin Gulf.
China has become Vietnam’s leading trade partner since 2004 with two-way trade exceeding 16 billion USD in 2007. The figure is expected to reach 21 billion USD this year.
By the end of July 2008, China has invested in 606 projects in Vietnam with total capital of 2 billion USD, ranking 12th among 82 countries and territories investing in the country. The Chinese projects are mainly in industry and construction. The biggest one so far is a thermoelectricity plant project in central Ninh Thuan province with initial capital of around 900 million USD.
In addition, the two sides have boosted cooperation in agriculture, fisheries, science and technology, transport and healthcare, particularly projects in the framework of Vietnam-China’s “two corridors and one economic belt” agreement.
In November 2005, the two countries signed an agreement on educational cooperation for the 2005-2009 period. Vietnam now ranks 4th among countries which have students learning in China, with more than 9,700 students. China has helped Vietnam train athletes to participate in regional and international competitions.
China is also Vietnam’s largest tourism market with the number of Chinese arrivals to the Southeast Asian country exceeding 600,000 people in 2007. The figure was 300,000 people in the first seven months of this year.
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