Ambassador Nguyen Van Tho: Develop Vietnam-China people-to-people exchanges in right direction and progress further
WVR - Ambassador Nguyen Van Tho, former Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, former Ambassador of Vietnam to China, and Vice President of the Vietnam-China Friendship Association, has proposed several measures to promote people-to-people exchanges between Vietnam and China to develop in the right direction and progress further, more steadily.
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Ambassador Nguyen Van Tho, former Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, former Ambassador of Vietnam to China, and Vice President of the Vietnam-China Friendship Association, shared in an interview with The World & Vietnam Report ahead of the State visit by General Secretary and President To Lam to China, proposing numerous measures to promote people-to-people exchanges between the two countries.
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| Ambassador Nguyen Van Tho. (Photo: Bach Duong) |
A particularly important visit
Ambassador Nguyen Van Tho assessed that the State visit by General Secretary and President To Lam to China holds special significance and is the most important political program for both countries in 2026, contributing to further strengthening political trust and friendly relations between the top leaders of the two Parties and countries.
Moreover, the visit aims to orient and guide the long-term strategy for the relations between the two Parties and countries, promoting the building of a Vietnam-China Community with a shared future of strategic significance at a higher level in the new situation.
It can be seen that over the years, Vietnam-China relations have continuously developed stably, achieving many important accomplishments in various fields. The mechanisms for exchange and cooperation across all channels of the Party, Government, National Assembly/People's Congress, and Fatherland Front/Political Consultative Conference have been effectively implemented.
This State visit to China by General Secretary and President To Lam continues the tradition of close and regular exchanges between the top leaders of the two Parties, aiming to promote cooperative relations between the two Parties and countries in a new, more dynamic, substantive, and effective phase.
Notably, this is the first foreign visit by General Secretary and President To Lam following a series of major national events: the 14th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam, the election of the 16th National Assembly and People's Councils at all levels for the 2026-2030 term, and especially right after the completion of the first session of the 16th National Assembly, finalizing the State leadership.
Meanwhile, China has also successfully organized the 4th session of the 14th National People's Congress and passed the 16th Five-Year Economic and Social Development Plan (2026-2030) with major orientations for national development in the new era, marking a particularly important phase for China to realize its second centenary goal of building a modern, prosperous, democratic, civilized, harmonious, and beautiful socialist power by the mid-century.
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| High-level leaders of the two Parties and countries of Vietnam and China at the inauguration ceremony of the Red Journey for youth study and research, April 2025. (Photo: Thanh Long) |
Elevating Vietnam-China cooperation
The Vietnam-China Year of Humanistic Exchanges 2025 was actively implemented with hundreds of activities in various forms, contributing to strengthening the social foundation for Vietnam-China relations, enabling people from all walks of life, especially the younger generation, to participate more actively in promoting the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership between Vietnam and China to develop stably, healthily, and effectively.
In 2025, people-to-people exchanges, educational cooperation, cultural-tourism cooperation, and local cooperation were vibrant.
The two General Secretaries attended and spoke at the "Vietnam-China People's Friendship Meeting" event, announcing the launch of the "Red Journey for Youth Study and Research". This program was subsequently implemented in many localities in China with the participation of hundreds of Vietnamese youth.
Notably, General Secretary To Lam showed great interest and attended the Vietnam-China people-to-people exchange activities twice, specifically the "Meeting of Vietnamese and Chinese Students from Various Periods" (March 2025) and the Vietnam-China Friendship Concert (February 2026).
| In 2025, Vietnam welcomed approximately 5.28 million Chinese visitors, an increase of 41.3%, accounting for 25% of the total international visitors to Vietnam, topping the list of source markets for visitors to Vietnam. The number of Vietnamese students in China reached a record high of nearly 24,000, doubling compared to 2019. |
Additionally, ministries, sectors, and localities on both sides actively organized exchange activities during the Vietnam-China Year of People-to-People Exchanges 2025.
Annual exchange mechanisms and activities such as the Spring Meeting between the Secretaries of Cao Bang, Lang Son, Tuyen Quang, Quang Ninh, Hai Phong, and Guangxi; the Conference of Secretaries of Lao Cai, Tuyen Quang, Lai Chau, Dien Bien with Yunnan; and the Conference on Economic Corridor Cooperation among five provinces of Vietnam and China were maintained, contributing to strengthening friendship and promoting mutually beneficial cooperation between localities on both sides.
Furthermore, people's friendship organizations and associations on both sides actively implemented exchange and meeting activities.
Media coverage of each other was generally positive, and cooperation between major media agencies of the two countries saw significant progress. Notably, Nhan Dan Newspaper, Voice of Vietnam, Vietnam Television, and Vietnam News Agency signed numerous cooperation agreements with central and local media agencies in China, co-producing programs, exchanging journalist delegations, and organizing cultural and artistic events...
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| People welcoming General Secretary and President of China Xi Jinping during his State visit to Vietnam. (Photo: Nguyen Hong) |
Developing in the right direction and progressing further, more steadily
Over the past 75 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries, the friendship between the peoples of the two nations has always been the source of strength to overcome challenges and guide bilateral relations in the right direction, progressing further, more steadily.
Therefore, strengthening a "more solid social foundation" has been agreed upon by the top leaders of the two Parties and countries as one of the six major directions to promote Vietnam-China relations in the new phase, ensuring that this relationship truly embodies the spirit of "comrades and brothers" as beloved Uncle Ho once advised.
Through people-to-people exchanges, both sides can promote cooperation in education and training, cultural exchanges, tourism, arts, media, and enhance exchanges among the younger generation, educating the people, especially the youth, about the traditional friendship between the two countries; continuously strengthening the traditional Vietnam-China friendship, further solidifying the social foundation of Vietnam-China relations.
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| General Secretary and President To Lam and General Secretary and President Xi Jinping waving to children waving flags and flowers of both countries, in Beijing, China, on August 19, 2024. (Photo: Nguyen Hong) |
In the future, the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organizations, with the Vietnam-China Friendship Association as a member organization and a core force, serving as a bridge between the peoples of the two countries, will continue to thoroughly implement the common understanding between the top leaders of the two Parties and countries on strengthening people-to-people exchanges, continuously maintaining and strengthening the traditional Vietnam-China friendship, further solidifying the Vietnam-China social foundation.
Accordingly, several measures have been proposed, including:
First, effectively maintaining people-to-people exchange mechanisms such as the Vietnam-China People's Forum, the People's Friendship Festival between the two countries, the Border People's Festival; exploring and researching new forms of exchange, such as "digital diplomacy"; creating online forums for youth, intellectuals, and entrepreneurs from both countries in more practical cooperation areas like digital transformation and science and technology.
Second, further expanding people-to-people exchanges between the younger generations of the two countries, continuing to effectively implement the "Red Journey for Youth Study and Research" Program to jointly explore the "red" relics in both countries, enabling the younger generation to gain a deeper understanding of the mutual assistance between Vietnam and China during the struggle for national independence and the building of socialism in each country.
Third, continuing to promote the pioneering role of the younger generations of the two countries in people-to-people diplomacy, in the industrialization and modernization efforts of each country, becoming a pioneering force in advancing Vietnam-China relations in the new era.
Additionally, both sides will enhance propaganda and education about the traditional friendship between the two Parties and countries; coordinate media efforts to spread positive cooperation stories, creating a favorable atmosphere and a good social foundation for comprehensive strategic cooperation between Vietnam and China, contributing positively to peace, stability, and development in the region and the world.
