Hanoi (VNA) – Vice Chairwoman of the National Assembly (NA) Nguyen Thi Thanh on November 26 received a working delegation from China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region led by Zhang Zhu, Deputy Secretary of the region’s Party Committee and Secretary of Urumqi city’s Party Committee.

Affirming Vietnam consistently follows a foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, multilateralism and diversification, and a defence policy of "four no's", Thanh highlighted that the country views consolidating and developing its friendly neighbourliness and comprehensive cooperation with China as a consistent guideline, an objective requirement, a strategic choice, and a top priority in its overall foreign policy.

Vietnam firmly supports China’s growth and its increasingly important role in promoting peace, stability, cooperation, and development in the region and worldwide, she stressed.

The official expressed her delight at the strong development of the friendly neighbourliness and comprehensive cooperation, especially after both sides agreed to elevate their relationship to a Comprehensive Strategic Cooperation Partnership and to establish a Community with a Shared Future which carries strategic significance. She affirmed that the Party, State, and National Assembly of Vietnam have always supported and created favourable conditions for Vietnamese ministries, sectors, and localities to strengthen their ties with Xinjiang.

Thanh also showed her hope that Xinjiang will expand the import of goods which Vietnam has strengths, especially tropical agricultural products. She emphasised the need for both sides to enhance logistics connections and cargo transport, encourage businesses to increase investment in each other, facilitate people-to-people exchanges, promote tourism cooperation, and open more direct air routes connecting the two sides. Additionally, she highlighted the importance of strengthening cultural and educational cooperation, as well as encouraging student exchange programmes between universities.

For his part, Zhang stated that his delegation’s working visit aims to learn from each other, exchange ideas, and foster mutual cooperation in various fields, particularly human resources development, education and training, and new energy.

Agreeing with the host’s proposals, he proposed both sides continue cooperating in transportatꦐion and further promote co✃llaboration in tourism and agriculture./.