On the evening of February 6, the Consulate General of Vietnam in Guangzhou hosted a grand reception to mark the 76th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and China and to celebrate the 2026 Chinese New Year festival.
Held at the juncture where Guangdong-Vietnam trade surpassed $63 billion, the event highlighted a year of record-breaking economic cooperation and cultural exchange, setting a festive tone for the Year of the Horse.
Nguyen Viet Dung, Consul General of Vietnam in Guangzhou, reflected on the transformative milestones of 2025. He emphasized that the past year saw a surge in high-level exchanges, including prominent events such as the "Comrade Ho Chi Minh in China" exhibition, the establishment of the Vietnamese Pavilion at the South China Book Fair for the first time with Vietnam as a guest country of honor, and the China-Vietnam Media Tour, all of which have significantly fortified the friendship and bonds between the two regions.
The economic synergy between Vietnam and Guangdong remains the cornerstone of this relationship, with Guangdong maintaining its position as Vietnam's largest provincial trading partner in China.
In 2025, the total import and export volume between Vietnam and Guangdong reached $63.16 billion, representing a year-on-year increase of 12.3%. This figure accounts for over 21% of the total trade turnover between Vietnam and the entire China.
Beyond trade, industrial cooperation has also reached new heights; in 2025, Guangzhou Metro and Shenzhen Metro successfully secured bids for major transit projects in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. These infrastructure breakthroughs, alongside the establishment of 10 pairs of sister-city relationships between Guangdong and various Vietnamese cities, demonstrate a shift toward higher-level, wide-ranging collaboration.
Looking toward the future, the partnership is entering a highly compatible strategic phase. As China embarks on its 15th Five-Year Plan (2026 to 2030), Vietnam is also fresh from its 14th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam, which set a clear mandate for reforming growth models through technological innovation and digital transformation.
These national priorities align seamlessly with Guangdong's commitment to high-quality development, which provides a unique window of opportunity to deepen cooperation in emerging industries, ensuring that the friendship between Guangdong and Vietnam continues to yield tangible benefits for both peoples in the years to come.
Reporter | Guo Chuhua
Photo | Guo Chuhua
