Anticipated China visit by Prime Minister aims to bolster mutual confidence

Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính is set to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit 2025, taking place in the Chinese port city of Tianjin from August 31 to September 1. This visit marks a significant response to repeated invitations for Vietnam's Party and State leaders to attend summits of organisations where Vietnam is not a member, such as the G7, G20, BRICS, and now the SCO.

The SCO summit offers an opportunity for government leaders to discuss regional and global security, political, and development issues. According to Nguyễn Minh Vũ, Permanent Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Vietnam, the trip is expected to deepen strategic exchanges and reinforce mutual trust.

During the visit, PM Chính will meet with Chinese leaders and representatives of ministries and businesses to further deepen the Comprehensive Strategic Cooperative Partnership and the Vietnam-China community. New breakthroughs are expected in strategic infrastructure, science and technology, education and training, green transition, digital transformation, and 5G-6G sectors.

The relations between Vietnam and China have maintained positive momentum, with marked achievements and increasingly substantive and effective cooperation. Bilateral trade between the two countries reached US$205.2 billion in 2024, a 19.3% increase. Vietnam's major agricultural exports to China, including durian, have expanded robustly.

People-to-people exchanges have been vibrant, particularly in 2025, the Year of Vietnam-China Humanistic Exchange. China is the largest source of tourists to Vietnam, accounting for more than 3.1 million arrivals in the seven months of 2025, or 22.5% of total international arrivals.

The upcoming trip is expected to advance substantive cooperation in economy, trade, and investment, as well as major strategic infrastructure projects between Vietnam and China. Key areas of strategic infrastructure cooperation, such as railways, have seen significant progress.

The talks between PM Chính and Chinese leaders are expected to help find solutions to remaining differences in bilateral relations. Nguyễn Minh Vũ stated that the high regard international partners and friends hold for Vietnam's role and standing, and their interest in hearing Vietnam's perspectives on these issues, is reflected in the repeated invitations for Vietnam's leaders to attend summits of organisations where Vietnam is not a member.

The host of the SCO Summit 2025 is China, and the summit marks an important step in strengthening dialogue and upholding multilateralism to ensure regional stability and security, and promote sustainable development.