Hanoi and Shanghai are committed to stepping up cooperation and creating favorable conditions to facilitate business and investment operations between the two cities.

Overview of the meeting. Photos: Thanh Hai/The Hanoi Times

This view was shared at a meeting between Vice Secretary of the Hanoi Party Committee Nguyen Van Phong and Vice Chairman of the Shanghai Municipal Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) Wu Xinbao on March 26.

Speaking at the meeting, Phong warmly welcomed the delegation from Shanghai, saying it confirmed the excellent relationship between Vietnam and China, as well as between Hanoi and Shanghai.

Expressing his delight at the continuous reinforcement and elevation of the traditional friendship between Vietnam and China to new heights, Phong recalled notable milestones in the recent history of the bilateral relationship between the two countries and cities.

He emphasized Vietnam's foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, multilateralization, and diversification of relations with countries worldwide and stressed that Hanoi highly values ​​diplomacy in the era of globalization and the strong trend of international integration.

Phong also highlighted that promoting substantive and effective foreign relations has helped sustain Hanoi's development, which aims to become a globally connected city by 2045.

Sharing his impressions of the achievements in the construction and development process of China in general and Shanghai in particular, Phong stated that based on strong similarities, building, and consolidation of relations with China and its regions are always a high priority for Hanoi.

Vice Secretary of the Hanoi Party Committee Nguyen Van Phong (r) and Vice Chairman of the Shanghai Municipal Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) Wu Xinbao (l).

Phong added that a rich historical and cultural foundation is crucial for promoting cooperation and cultural exchange between the two sides. On this basis, he expressed the wish to deepen cooperation with Chinese localities, including Shanghai, to support each other in the development process.

Phong pledged that the Hanoi Party Committee would create favorable conditions for the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of Hanoi to coordinate and collaborate more substantively and effectively with Shanghai.

Hailing the good relationship between the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of Hanoi and the CPPCC, Phong affirmed that the practical development shows that promoting people-to-people diplomacy and cooperation between political and social organizations contributes positively to mutual understanding between the people of the two countries.

He hoped that the two agencies would continue to cooperate substantially and effectively, becoming bridges and contributing positively to the relationship between the two cities and countries.

For his part, CPPCC Vice Chairman Wu Xinbao said the fraternal and friendly relationship between Vietnam and China is improving day by day, emphasizing that this visit aims to thoroughly understand and realize the common vision and perception of the top leaders of the two countries on the consolidation and promotion of Vietnam-China cooperation towards deeper levels.

Impressed by Hanoi's rapid development, Wu expressed his wish that this visit would open up opportunities to explore and survey Hanoi's investment and business environment. He hoped to encourage and inspire Shanghai enterprises to explore opportunities and increase investment.

Delegates at the meeting.

Briefly introducing the development situation of Shanghai - the largest economic center of China, Wu highlighted Shanghai's development philosophy of "green, smart, and inclusive" and reaffirmed its role as "China's  window  to the world" and "the world's  gateway   to China." He also asserted that Shanghai's economy had overcome the pandemic and returned to a stable growth trajectory.

"We also agreed to strengthen cooperation between the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of Hanoi and the CPPCC, making it more effective and substantive, and thus contributing to mutual development," he said.

During the working session, both sides spent time exchanging views on common issues of interest, including the sharing of experiences, urban development for the people, infrastructure construction, and improving people's living standards.