Xi says China-Vietnam friendship's foundation lies among two peoples, future to be created by young people

General Secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and Chinese President Xi Jinping delivers a key speech during a meeting with representatives of young Chinese and Vietnamese and people who have contributed to the China-Vietnam friendship in Hanoi, Vietnam, Dec. 13, 2023. Xi and his wife Peng Liyuan met here with those representatives along with General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee Nguyen Phu Trong and his wife. [Xinhua/Shen Hong]

HANOI -- Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and Chinese president, said here on Wednesday that the foundation of China-Vietnam friendship lies among their two peoples and the future of this friendship will be created by the young people.

Xi made the remarks while delivering a key speech during a meeting with representatives of young Chinese and Vietnamese and people who have contributed to the China-Vietnam friendship.

Upon Xi and his wife Peng Liyuan's arrival at the National Convention Center, they were warmly welcomed by Vietnamese youth representatives. Xi and Peng, along with General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee Nguyen Phu Trong and his wife, Ngo Thi Man, took group photos with the representatives of young Chinese and Vietnamese and people who have contributed to the China-Vietnam friendship.

On behalf of the CPC and the Chinese government, Xi extended his warm regards to the old and new friends who are committed to China-Vietnam friendship. He pointed out that on Tuesday he and Trong jointly announced their decision to build a China-Vietnam community with a shared future that carries strategic significance, thus ushering in a new stage in the relations between the two parties and countries.

This is a major strategic decision they have made to revitalize world socialism and ensure the long-term stability and security of the two countries, Xi said, adding that it is rooted in the two countries' traditional friendship and represents the shared interests and aspirations of the two peoples.

In the past, the two countries stood by and reached out to each other as they pursued common goals together, he said, adding in modern times, the two parties and peoples stayed true to their common ideals, and supported each other in trying times as they fought for national independence and liberation.

Today, while reading the famous poetic line by late Vietnamese leader Ho Chi Minh that "so profound is the friendship between Vietnam and China, because we are both comrades and brothers," the memory of those fiery and exciting years of the two peoples is kept alive, Xi continued, adding that the two countries remain firmly committed to their shared aspiration forged in the early days and are pursuing win-win cooperation.

Since the establishment of the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership 15 years ago, the CPC and the CPV have pursued people-centered mutually beneficial cooperation, delivering true benefits to the two peoples, he noted, saying that looking ahead, it can be seen that the two countries share the same future.

China is now striving to build itself into a great modern socialist country in all respects and advance the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation on all fronts by pursuing Chinese modernization, and Vietnam, on its part, is vigorously advancing its industrialization and modernization drive, he continued.

China will stay committed to peaceful development, the policy of forging friendships and partnerships with neighbors, and the principles of amity, sincerity, mutual benefit and inclusiveness. And China is ready to share more of the benefits of Chinese modernization with its neighbors, Xi noted.

Stressing the foundation of bilateral friendship lies among the two peoples, and the future of this friendship will be created by the young people, Xi expressed three wishes to the youth of the two countries.

First, it is hoped that the two countries' youth will carry forward bilateral friendship and play their part in building a China-Vietnam community with a shared future that carries strategic significance.

With remarkable economic and social advances, China and Vietnam demonstrate to the world that they have found the right development paths, Xi said, adding that enhanced solidarity and cooperation will strengthen their socialist causes.

He also voiced hopes that people committed to the China-Vietnam friendship in various sectors in both countries, especially the young people, will take the lead in promoting bilateral friendship, and contribute to the two countries' respective hundred-year pursuit of development goals and to the building of a China-Vietnam community with a shared future that carries strategic significance.

Second, it is hoped that the two countries' youth will play their part in promoting the development of the Asia-Pacific and contribute to enduring peace in the region.

Noting that the two countries have made tremendous achievements through, respectively, China's reform and opening up and Vietnam's Doi Moi (reform) policy, Xi said this is credited not only to their own endeavors, but also to a peaceful, open and inclusive Asia-Pacific, adding that the Asia-Pacific is the place which the two countries call home, and openness, inclusiveness and mutually beneficial cooperation are the right course to follow.

The two countries should strive to build an Asia-Pacific community, create more momentum to boost solidarity and make advances, and make greater contributions to making the Asia-Pacific more harmonious and prosperous, he added.

Third, it is hoped that the two countries' youth will be pioneers in promoting human progress and contribute to the building of a community with a shared future for mankind.

Noting that the two parties are both Marxist parties that bear in mind the overall interests of the world, and the two countries are both responsible members of the international community, Xi said that they should play a major role in advancing human progress, and should be visionary, look beyond the horizon and shoulder responsibilities entrusted by the times, stand up for international fairness and justice, and contribute their share to global development.

Xi emphasized that keeping in mind the journey traversed will enable the two countries to advance along the right path, adding that the challenging paths China and Vietnam have traveled and the remarkable achievements they have made in developing socialism fully demonstrate that enhanced solidarity and cooperation between the two countries has enabled them to overcome all risks and challenges and to move from one victory to another.

Xi said the two countries should pursue their respective path to socialism and deliver the gains of industrialization and modernization to more people in the two countries, calling on the two sides to join hands and make even greater contributions to the advancement of humanity.

For his part, Trong said under the leadership of the Communist Party, Vietnam and China have consistently supported each other in their struggles for national independence, liberation, and socialist construction. The Vietnam-China friendship is as deep as comrades and brothers, and Vietnam always remembers and appreciates the invaluable support that China has provided over the years, he added.

Over the 15 years since the establishment of the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership, the two countries' political mutual trust has been increasingly strengthened, and practical cooperation has yielded fruitful results, he said, noting that these days, the streets and alleys of Hanoi were filled with a joyous and warm atmosphere, and Xi's state visit to Vietnam has achieved a complete success.

The joint announcement the two leaders made to build a community with a shared future that carries strategic significance represents a historic milestone in Vietnam-China relations, Trong said, adding that it is bound to bring greater tangible benefits to the two peoples and make greater contributions to the cause of global peace and progress.

The future of Vietnam-China relations will be created by the young people, Trong pointed out, expressing his hope that the young people of both countries can deeply understand and carry forward the profound friendship established by the older generation of the two countries' leaders, so as to inject new vitality into the long-term stable development of the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership between Vietnam and China and the continuous growth of the socialist causes of both countries.

Representatives from both countries reported to the two leaders on bilateral friendly exchanges. They said that during Xi's historic state visit to Vietnam, the general secretaries of both parties took time to personally meet with friendly individuals and youth representatives from China and Vietnam, fully reflecting the high regard and earnest hope of the leaders of the two countries and parties for the young people and friendship cause of China and Vietnam.

The two general secretaries announced the building of a community with a shared future that carries strategic significance, which aligns with the common aspirations and fundamental interests of the two peoples, conforms to the trend of peace, cooperation and development, and will undoubtedly guide bilateral comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership to embark on an even better new journey, setting an example of amicable and sincere relations between neighboring countries, they noted.

The youth of both countries will carry forward the traditional friendship featuring "camaraderie plus brotherhood," engage in close interactions, strengthen mutual learning and exchange, deepen mutual trust and friendship, and actively work towards the goal of "stronger popular support" as proposed by the two general secretaries, so as to make positive efforts and contributions towards building a China-Vietnam community with a shared future, they added. 

General Secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and Chinese President Xi Jinping and General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee Nguyen Phu Trong and their spouses pose for group photos with the representatives of young Chinese and Vietnamese and people who have contributed to the China-Vietnam friendship in Hanoi, Vietnam, Dec. 13, 2023. Xi and his wife Peng Liyuan met here with the representatives along with Nguyen Phu Trong and his wife. [Xinhua/Yin Bogu]

General Secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan along with General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee Nguyen Phu Trong and his wife meet with the representatives of young Chinese and Vietnamese and people who have contributed to the China-Vietnam friendship in Hanoi, Vietnam, Dec. 13, 2023. [Xinhua/Yin Bogu]

General Secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and Chinese President Xi Jinping delivers a key speech during a meeting with representatives of young Chinese and Vietnamese and people who have contributed to the China-Vietnam friendship in Hanoi, Vietnam, Dec. 13, 2023. Xi and his wife Peng Liyuan met here with the representatives along with General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee Nguyen Phu Trong and his wife. [Xinhua/Zhai Jianlan]

General Secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and Chinese President Xi Jinping delivers a key speech during a meeting with representatives of young Chinese and Vietnamese and people who have contributed to the China-Vietnam friendship in Hanoi, Vietnam, Dec. 13, 2023. Xi and his wife Peng Liyuan met here with the representatives along with General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee Nguyen Phu Trong and his wife. [Xinhua/Yin Bogu]