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At the invitation of Chinese Premier Li Qiang, Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Thien paid an official visit to China from June 25 to 28.

This is Pham Minh's first visit to China after taking office as Prime Minister and the first visit to China by a Vietnamese Prime minister in seven years. In the view of the international experts interviewed, this visit will promote the in-depth development of China-Vietnam comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership from three dimensions and promote China-Vietnam relations to unleash new momentum.

First, it has helped deepen political mutual trust between China and Vietnam.

China and Vietnam are friendly socialist neighbors connected by mountains and rivers, comrades with a high degree of mutual trust, partners of mutual benefit and win-win results, and friends who know each other intimately. Last autumn, General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Nguyen Phu Trong visited China, becoming the first foreign leader to visit China after the 20th CPC National Congress. During that visit, China and Vietnam drew up a blueprint for the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership in the new era.

This year marks the 15th anniversary of the establishment of China-Vietnam comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership, and the development of relations between the two parties and countries has maintained a sound momentum.  In his talks with Fan Mingzheng on the 26th, Chinese Premier Li Qiang said that in the complex and volatile world situation, we should pay more attention to maintaining and developing bilateral relations, jointly promote the cause of socialism, join hands to build a closer community of shared future, and push bilateral relations to a new level from a new starting point.

Liu Qing, vice president of the China Institute of International Studies, said that the Vietnamese Prime minister's visit to China is carried out against the backdrop of the sound development momentum of bilateral relations, which continues the tradition of high-level contacts and exchanges between the two sides and reflects the confidence of the two parties and countries in developing stronger China-Vietnam relations.

During the visit, Vietnam repeatedly stated that it "regards relations with China as the top priority of its foreign policy." Xu Liping, a researcher at the Institute of Asia-Pacific and Global Strategy of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, pointed out that "top priority" is the consistent position of Vietnam's policy toward China. "This reflects that the Vietnamese Party and government both cherish and attach great importance to relations with China. There is a basis for further enhancing political mutual trust between the two parties and countries, and the general course of friendly cooperation between China and Vietnam will not change."

Second, we need to further refine China-Vietnam cooperation.

As a community of shared future with strategic significance, China-Vietnam cooperation in various fields is constantly deepening. China has remained Vietnam's largest trading partner for 16 consecutive years, and Vietnam has become China's sixth largest trading partner in the world and the largest trading partner in ASEAN.

During Prime Minister Trong's visit to China last year, China and Vietnam signed cooperation documents on economy, trade, environmental protection, cultural tourism and customs, and reached consensus on a number of issues. China and Vietnam also issued a joint statement of more than 6,400 words, making specific plans for further strengthening and deepening China-Vietnam comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership.

During the visit, the Chinese side pointed out that the two sides should speed up the negotiation and signing of the outline of the cooperation plan for linking the Belt and Road Initiative and the Two Corridors and One Economic Circle. We will tap into the efficiency potential of railway transport between the two countries, speed up the connectivity of standard gauge railways along the border, and promote the opening up and upgrading of ports and infrastructure connectivity. We will expand cooperation in agricultural trade, investment and energy.

Liu Qing analyzed that there have been many bright spots in China-Vietnam cooperation in recent years. For example, China-Vietnam cooperation on the Belt and Road Initiative and the Two Corridors and One Economic Circle has yielded fruitful results. Vietnamese Minister of Transport came to China to discuss transport cooperation. When Vietnam lost electricity, China restarted electricity transmission and so on.

"The areas of cooperation discussed by the two sides this time cover connectivity, trade and investment, people-to-people exchanges and other aspects, which are in line with the goals and tasks set by the 13th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam." Liu Qing said that through this visit, China and Vietnam can further implement a series of important consensus reached by the top leaders of the two parties and countries last year and promote the comprehensive strategic cooperation between the two countries.

In order to accelerate the border standard gauge railway connectivity, Xu Liping believes that this will promote the connection of China's railway network with the Indo-China Peninsula railway network, and will strongly promote the construction of the trans-Asian railway network, which is conducive to creating a more complete industrial chain.

In fact, the two sides also had an in-depth exchange of views on stabilizing the production and supply chain. China said the two sides should jointly oppose "decoupling and breaking the chain." Both sides oppose politicizing economic issues.

"This reflects the confidence of China and Vietnam in building a win-win future. Maintaining a stable and smooth global production and supply chain is of great significance to maintaining the vitality of economic development. China and Vietnam are both countries with important influence in East Asia, and their friendly cooperation will also help promote common prosperity in the region." Xu Liping said.

Third, speed up consultations on a Code of Conduct in the South China Sea to properly manage differences.

The South China Sea issue is an important issue in the development of China-Vietnam relations. During the visit, China stressed that it is willing to work with Vietnam to manage differences through dialogue and consultation, advance practical maritime cooperation, speed up consultations on the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea, and avoid taking actions that will complicate or escalate the situation. Vietnam also responded that it is willing to work with China to properly manage differences and maintain maritime peace and stability.

Liu Qing noted that the two sides signed a maritime cooperation document this time. "What is important is how to resolve differences through practical cooperation." He said the two sides should implement the high-level consensus, resolve disputes and differences through friendly consultation, maintain the stability of the maritime situation, carry out maritime cooperation in a step-by-step manner, and jointly build the South China Sea into a sea of peace, friendship and cooperation.

In Xu Liping's view, it is some outside forces with ulterior motives that are afraid of chaos in the South China Sea, and it is in the common interests of both China and Vietnam to continue to maintain peace in the South China Sea. During this visit, China and Vietnam had candid communication and exchanges on many issues, sending a positive signal to the international community that the two countries have the ability and wisdom to properly manage differences and constantly enrich and expand cooperation.