Nearly 75 years after establishing diplomatic relations, Vietnam and China have had a long journey of close ties. That relationship has a much more lasting and profound tradition because it was established by President Ho Chi Minh and Chinese leaders when he came to Guangzhou to carry out revolutionary activities.
Both comrades and brothers
The first impression is to feel the vivid image of “mountains connected to mountains, rivers connected to rivers” which has become a symbol of the friendly relationship between the two countries, when the high-ranking delegation of the Party and State arrived at Baiyun International Airport, Guangzhou City, Guangdong Province, about 1 hour and 30 minutes after departing from Noi Bai Airport (Hanoi).
During this visit to China, General Secretary and President To Lam and his spouse chose Guangzhou as their first destination, because the time had a very special meaning. This year marks the 100th anniversary of the day when comrade Nguyen Ai Quoc went to Guangzhou to carry out revolutionary activities (November 11, 1924 - November 11, 2024) as a representative of the Communist International.
During his years here, President Ho Chi Minh and the Vietnamese revolutionaries received the wholehearted support and assistance of the Communist Party and the Chinese people, especially in establishing the Vietnamese Revolutionary Youth League, the revolutionary organisation that was the predecessor of the Party. The Association contributed to disseminating Marxism-Leninism in Vietnam and the political, ideological and organisational preparation for the birth of a political party of the Vietnamese working class.
At No.13 (now No. 248 – 250) Wen Ming Street, Guangzhou City, from 1924 to 1927, comrade Nguyen Ai Quoc opened three political training classes, training Vietnamese revolutionary cadres, with 75 people. He was directly in charge and the main lecturer. The lectures at these training classes were collected and published in the book “The Revolutionary Path”, becoming one of the first theoretical documents of the Communist Party of Vietnam. In 1971, the People’s Republic of China decided to preserve House No.13 as a memorial site dedicated to President Ho Chi Minh, named “Headquarters of the Vietnamese Revolutionary Youth League”, under the management of the Guangdong Museum of Revolutionary History. The site has been ranked a National Historical and Cultural Site of China. In 2002, the Guangzhou City administration comprehensively renovated the site and inaugurated the project on April 30, 2002, on the 112th anniversary of President Ho Chi Minh's birthday.
It is extremely meaningful that a high-ranking delegation of the Party and State of Vietnam visited the “Headquarters of the Vietnamese Revolutionary Youth League” on the occasion of Vietnam celebrating the 79th anniversary of the August Revolution and National Day (September 2) and the 55th anniversary of the implementation of President Ho Chi Minh’s Testament. In the sacred “red address” space, the photos and artefacts were displayed and arranged scientifically and solemnly, vividly showing the years of President Ho Chi Minh's vibrant revolutionary activities in Guangzhou.
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General Secretary and President To Lam and his spouse visit the “headquarters of the Vietnamese Revolutionary Youth League” relic site. |
In a state of emotion, General Secretary and President To Lam wrote in the guestbook, sincerely thanking the Party, the State of China, the Party Committee and the administration of Guangdong Province, for always paying attention to preserving and conserving the relic. This is the place that trained the first generations of loyal communists of Vietnam. It is also the place that witnessed the impartial, pure international communist sentiment and the traditional friendship, solidarity, and attachment, “both comrades and brothers” between the two Parties, the two countries and the people of Vietnam and China.
An unforgettable impression was that within the framework of the visit, the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, the Guangdong Provincial People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organisations, and the Vietnamese Consulate General in Guangzhou, jointly organised a very emotional meeting with representatives of friendship organisations, relatives of revolutionary generals, experts and advisors, who had helped Vietnam in the resistance wars, cadres and employees who have been participating in the conservation of relics related to the Vietnamese revolution, and outstanding intellectuals of China. At the meeting, some friendship figures shared their memories of President Ho Chi Minh during his time working in China, about the days working side by side with hardships and sacrifices. That was the memory of a nurse at a hospital in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region and the sharing of the former Head of the Department of Conservation and Management of Cultural Relics, Guangdong Museum of Revolutionary History.
Guangzhou is one of the most bustling commercial cities in China. Its strength is mainly due to the city’s promotion of the majestic natural landscape, famous for Baiyun Mountain and Pearl River, of land with a history of more than 2,200 years of accumulating cultural depth and national identity. This creates an attraction to promote the strong development of tourism and trade. In that vibrant life, Guangzhou always respects and preserves traditional spaces, such as Huang Hua Gang Park - where there is a cemetery of 72 revolutionary martyrs, including the cemetery of martyr Pham Hong Thai, as well as the relic “Headquarters of the Vietnamese Revolutionary Youth League”. This further demonstrates the sentiment of “both comrades and brothers” between Vietnam and China.
During the meeting, Secretary of the Party Committee of Guangdong Province Huang Kunming shared with Party General Secretary and State President To Lam that the people of Guangdong Province, especially in Guangzhou City, will continue to inherit and promote the tradition of friendship as small streams and join together to converge into the great river of the Vietnam-China relationship. The traditional friendship between Vietnam and China, painstakingly built and nurtured by President Ho Chi Minh, President Mao Zedong, and the two countries' revolutionary predecessors, is forever a valuable common asset of the two Parties, countries, and peoples, and needs to be continuously nurtured and developed. That sharing was further affirmed when the hall of the meeting with representatives from Chinese friendship scholars resounded with the song "Vietnam-China" by musician Do Nhuan, everyone felt warm in their hearts.
Continuously nurturing relations, looking towards the future
In recent days, Beijing has been experiencing an autumn climate with bright yellow sunshine and cool air, favourable for important activities of the high-ranking delegation of the Vietnamese Party and State.
After the official welcome ceremony, General Secretary and President To Lam held talks with General Secretary, President Xi Jinping. He also had meetings with Premier Li Qiang, Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress of China Zhao Leji, and Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference Wang Huning.
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General Secretary and President To Lam held talks with General Secretary and President of China Xi Jinping. (Photo: Tri Dung - VNA) |
This visit reflected the high regard and top priority that both Parties and countries place on Vietnam-China relations, marking a pivotal moment to elevate the bilateral relationship to new heights and deeper, more substantive dimensions across all areas. The two General Secretaries and Presidents agreed to strengthen political trust, maintain regular exchanges and contacts between the senior leaders of both parties and countries and underscore the strategic guiding role of the Party channel in overall bilateral relations. They also agreed to deepen theoretical cooperation, share the latest theoretical and practical achievements, and contribute meaningfully to the work of both parties and countries. The two leaders discussed in depth major directions to increase trust, consolidate friendship, improve the effectiveness of practical cooperation in all fields, and maintain peace and stability at sea to develop the Vietnam-China relationship healthily, stably and sustainably, following the “16-word” motto and the “four-good” spirit.
Realising these viewpoints, the two General Secretaries and Presidents witnessed ministries, sectors and localities of the two countries signing 14 cooperation documents.
With many important contents, trust and expectations exchanged and affirmed by the leaders of the two countries, the first foreign trip by the top Vietnamese leader in his new role has received great attention from both international and Chinese public opinion.
International relations commentator Guan Yao, in a statement on Shenzhen Cable TV of Guangdong province, said that the scope for cooperation between the two countries is wide open with many potential areas. China has been Vietnam's largest trading partner for many consecutive years, while Vietnam is China's largest trading partner in ASEAN. China is one of Vietnam's largest investors. Therefore, deeper economic cooperation between the two countries will accumulate momentum and create practical benefits for both sides, especially cooperation in supply chain, digital economy and infrastructure connectivity, especially cross-border transport infrastructure.
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General Secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and President of China Xi Jinping and his spouse welcome General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee and State President To Lam and his spouse at the welcome ceremony in Beijing, China. (Photo: Tri Dung - VNA) |
According to Xu Ningning, Executive President of the China-ASEAN Business Council, under the leadership of the two Parties, economic and trade cooperation between China and Vietnam is bringing practical benefits to the people of the two countries. Xu said he believes that there is still much room to promote two-way investment and trade, adding that Chinese enterprises are very optimistic about Vietnam's economic development with new business opportunities.
With the preparation efforts of relevant agencies and units of the two countries, the visit of the high-ranking Vietnamese delegation to China was very successful, completing all the contents of the proposed programme. General Secretary and President Xi Jinping and his spouse, along with leaders of the Party, State, ministries, branches and agencies of China, welcomed General Secretary and President To Lam and his spouse, along with leaders of the Party and State of Vietnam with great respect, enthusiasm and thoughtfulness, demonstrating the deep and sincere feelings of the long-standing traditional relationship that has been cultivated by many generations of leaders of the two countries, most recently by the late General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong.
The high-ranking delegation of the Vietnamese Party and State, led by General Secretary and President To Lam, successfully concluded its visit to China. The plane left Beijing for Hanoi under the clear blue sky, the sound of the song of Vietnam-China friendship resounding throughout the flight: Vietnam-China, mountains connected to mountains, rivers connected to rivers. Sharing the same East Sea/South China Sea, the friendship is as bright as the dawn.
