Han Changfu, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, had a meeting by appointment with Nguyen Xuan Phuc, Prime Minister of Vietnam, at the Prime Minister’s Residence on October 14. Chinese Ambassador to Vietnam Xiong Bo and Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development of Vietnam Nguyen Xuan Cuong also attended the meeting.  

Han first conveyed Premier Li Keqiang’s regards to Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, stating that China and Vietnam are good neighbors which are connected by mountains and rivers, and good companions  who are both comrades and brothers. Thanks to correct guidance by the leaders of both sides, cooperation in recent years has continued to deepen across various sectors, and China has become Vietnam’s largest trading partner, with bilateral trade exceeding 100 billion US dollars. Furthermore, trade in agricultural products has developed steadily and an increasing number of Chinese agricultural companies are investing in Vietnam.  Next year will mark the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties, and the two sides should take this opportunity to deepen pragmatic cooperation in the fields such as agriculture, fishery and other industries, and strengthen the alignment of the Belt and Road Initiative with the “Two Corridors and One Circle” Plan. 

Nguyen Xuan Phuc warmly welcomed Han and he extended his congratulations again on the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China. He praised highly the Chinese National Day celebrations which has fully displayed the brilliant achievements of China’s socialist path with Chinese characteristics under the leadership of the Communist Party of China, especially under the leadership of the CPC Central Committee with comrade Xi Jinping as its core since the 18th CPC National Congress. The prime minister asked Han to convey his regards to Premier Li Keqiang, adding that Vietnam and China have great potential to promote economic and social development through exchanges and mutual learning. He said Vietnam is ready to work with China to promote pragmatic cooperation in agriculture and fishery so that the comprehensive strategic and cooperative partnership between the two countries can be further developed.