A message of

RESPONSIBLE PARTNERSHIP AND CONTRIBUTION TO DEVELOPMENT

At the invitation of Chinese Premier Li Qiang and Borge Brende, President and CEO of the World Economic Forum (WEF), Prime Minister of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam Pham Minh Chinh is attending the 16th Annual Meeting of the New Champions (AMNC) of the WEF in Tianjin and conducting a working visit to China from June 24 to 27, 2025.

Through Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh’s visit, Viet Nam affirms the foreign policy direction set by the 13th National Party Congress—one of independence and self-reliance, diversification and multilateralisation of foreign relations—prioritising ties with neighbouring countries. Viet Nam remains consistent in its approach of fostering stable and long-term relations with China based on mutual respect, equality, and mutual benefit. This visit further deepens the friendly neighbourly ties, the Comprehensive Strategic Cooperative Partnership, and the Strategic Community of Shared Future between Viet Nam and China. Viet Nam’s participation in the 16th WEF Annual Meeting of the New Champions in Tianjin once again affirms the country’s position, role, and responsibility in promoting peace, stability, and prosperity in the region and the world.

Viet Nam is actively engaging in and contributing to efforts in seeking solutions to regional and global economic and development challenges, while sharing its perspectives, vision, and experiences.

CONTINUOUSLY CULTIVATING THE GOOD NEIGHBOURLY FRIENDSHIP AND COOPERATION BETWEEN VIET NAM AND CHINA

The People’s Republic of China became the first country in the world to officially establish diplomatic relations with the Democratic Republic of Viet Nam (now the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam) on January 18, 1950. Viet Nam was also the first Southeast Asian nation to formally establish diplomatic relations with China. Over the 75 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations, while the Viet Nam–China relationship has experienced periods of ups and downs, friendship and cooperation have remained the predominant theme.

The friendship nurtured by President Ho Chi Minh, Chairman Mao Zedong, and generations of leaders from both countries has become a valuable common asset of the Vietnamese and Chinese peoples. It has helped maintain the steady development of the traditional friendship between Viet Nam and China, delivering tangible benefits to both nations. The two Parties, two States, and peoples have stood shoulder to shoulder, offering each other immense and precious support that contributed to the success of their respective struggles for national liberation, as well as in their current paths of national development and modernisation.

Recent historic mutual visits by the top leaders of the two Parties and States have oriented the promotion of Viet Nam – China relations to a new comprehensive and sustainable development stage, following the "six more" orientation. Viet Nam’s position in its relations with China has been elevated, while China has clearly demonstrated its priority and regard for relations with Viet Nam. Since the beginning of 2025, in the context of the 75th anniversary of the establishment of Viet Nam–China diplomatic relations (1950–2025), both sides have maintained close high-level exchanges and contacts at various levels.

In an article published in the People’s Daily of China on the occasion of General Secretary of the Communist Party of China and Chinese President Xi Jinping’s State visit to Viet Nam in April 2025, General Secretary of the Communist Party of Viet Nam To Lam affirmed that within the overall framework of Viet Nam’s foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, peace, friendship, cooperation, development, and the multilateralisation and diversification of external relations, the Party and State of Viet Nam have consistently and resolutely given top priority to working together with the Party and State of China to develop the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership and the Viet Nam–China community with a shared future of strategic significance, for the happiness of both peoples and for the cause of peace and progress of humanity.

Building on a foundation of strong political trust, bilateral cooperation between the two countries has grown increasingly well across all fields. Regarding trade, in 2024, Viet Nam retained its position as China’s largest trading partner in ASEAN and was also its fourth-largest trading partner by country criterion. The total bilateral trade turnover between Viet Nam and China in 2024 reached 205.2 billion USD. In the first five months of 2025, Viet Nam–China bilateral trade reached 92.9 billion USD.

In the investment field, China ranked third in total newly registered capital in the first five months of 2025, with a total of 453 new investment projects in Viet Nam, amounting to 1.81 billion USD. Chinese investors have invested in 19 out of 21 sectors in which Viet Nam receives foreign direct investment (FDI).

In tourism, Viet Nam welcomed 3.74 million Chinese visitors in 2024 (an increase of 114% compared to 2023), accounting for 21.26% of total international tourist arrivals. In the first five months of 2025, Viet Nam received 2.36 million Chinese tourists, equivalent to 25.4% of the total number of international visitors to Viet Nam, ranking first among the markets sending visitors to Viet Nam.

VIET NAM – A TRUSTED PARTNER OF WEF

WEF is a non-profit organisation operating on a public-private cooperation model. It was founded in 1971 by Professor Klaus Schwab and is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland. The WEF currently has around 700 partners, who are leaders of major global corporations across various sectors.

As one of the earliest forums to engage with the Fourth Industrial Revolution, the World Economic Forum (WEF) is currently implementing a number of concrete initiatives, including Centres for the Fourth Industrial Revolution in the US, India, and Japan, as well as a Cybersecurity Centre with the participation of 92 partners.

The WEF’s most important event is its Annual Meeting held each January in Davos, Switzerland. In addition, the Forum organises a range of regional platforms such as the WEF Annual Meeting of the New Champions, held alternately in Tianjin or Dalian (China) and the WEF ASEAN Summits. These gatherings attract top leaders from the worlds of politics, business, culture, society, and academia to shape regional and global agendas.

On April 21, 2025, following the announcement by Professor Klaus Schwab of his decision to step down from the WEF’s Board of Trustees, the Board appointed former Nestlé CEO Peter Brabeck-Letmathe as interim Chairperson and Børge Brende as President. During this transitional period, the WEF is expected to maintain its annual Davos meetings and global initiatives without interruption.

Since establishing ties in 1989, Viet Nam and the WEF have steadily advanced their cooperation across a wide range of areas, with strong interest from both sides' leadership. Viet Nam has been represented at the WEF Annual Meeting in Davos by its Prime Minister on five occasions (2007, 2010, 2017, 2019, and 2024); twice attended the WEF Annual Meeting of the New Champions in Tianjin/Dalian (2023 and 2024); and taken part in the WEF ASEAN Summit (previously WEF East Asia) four times at Prime Minister level (2012, 2013, 2014, and 2017).

Leaders from both sides have also intensified high-level engagements, particularly between Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and Professor Klaus Schwab at the WEF meeting in Tianjin in June 2023, the 41st ASEAN Summit in November 2022, the 43rd ASEAN Summit in September 2023, and during Professor Schwab’s visit to Viet Nam in October 2024.

Viet Nam and the WEF have also co-hosted a number of important conferences, notably the Strategic Dialogue on National Development between Viet Nam and WEF.

On June 26, 2023, at the WEF Tianjin Meeting, the two sides signed a Memorandum of Understanding on Viet Nam–WEF cooperation for the 2023–2026 period, witnessed by Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and Professor Klaus Schwab. The MoU provides a crucial framework for enhancing bilateral cooperation in the new period, focusing on six key areas: (i) Innovation in food systems; (ii) Skills development for innovation and green transformation; (iii) Net-zero-oriented industrial clusters; (iv) Plastic action initiatives, including the Global Plastic Action Partnership; (v) Finance for renewable energy transition; (vi) Digital transformation cooperation and the establishment of the fourth industrial revolution centre (C4IR).

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh attended the inauguration ceremony of the C4IR Centre in September 2024 in Ho Chi Minh City. This is the 19th C4IR Centre of WEF worldwide and the second of the kind in Southeast Asia.

The 16th Annual Meeting of the New Champions of the World Economic Forum (WEF) is taking place in Tianjin, China from June 24-26. This is the second largest and most important event of the year for the WEF after WEF Davos; a forum for countries to discuss visions and long-term solutions to key issues related to global economic development.

The 2025 edition bears the theme “Entrepreneurship for a New Era”. The agenda spans five themes: decoding a global economy battered by geopolitical strife, inflation, and supply chain snarls; dissecting China’s tech and AI-driven growth; retooling industries with smart manufacturing and clean energy; investing in human capital and sustainability through digital skills, climate finance, and gender equality in tech and public-private partnerships; and pushing the boundaries of new energy and materials, including renewables, energy storage, and next-generation nuclear technologies.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh’s working trip demonstrates the high regard the Party and Government of Viet Nam attach to the Viet Nam-China Comprehensive Strategic Cooperative Partnership and the Community of Shared Futures, which has strategic significance.

The Prime Minister’s attendance at the WEF Tianjin 2025 is an opportunity for Viet Nam to share lessons learned and its achievements in socio-economic development, conveying messages about Viet Nam’s development policies and orientations, thereby calling on the WEF, governments, international organisations and the global business community to strengthen cooperation, investment and business expansion in the country. This will be an important driving force to help Viet Nam go further in the new era.

Published: June 2025
Production manager: Chu Hong Thang - Pham Truong Son
Content: Minh Hang - Nguyen Ha
Translation and design: NDO
References: Ministry of Foreign Affairs