Dr. Tra My: People-to-people Ties are Key to Fostering Viet Nam-China Relations

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- Could you please share the key achievements in the recent cooperation between the Viet Nam Business Association in China and the Viet Nam Union of Friendship Organizations?

Dr. Tra My: In recent times, with the active support of the Viet Nam Union of Friendship Organizations (VUFO), our Viet Nam Business Association in China has successfully facilitated several exemplary friendship-twinning models such as: Dong Xoai City (Binh Phuoc, Vietnam) twinning with Dezhou City (Shandong, China) in May 2025; Saigon Port (Vietnam) twinning with Qingdao Port (China) in March 2024; Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology and Education twinning with Shandong Normal University in October 2024...

These twinning models not only symbolize friendship but also open up practical cooperation opportunities in many fields such as economic exchange, trade, logistics services, and international educational cooperation.

In addition, VUFO continues to serve as a trusted bridge, enabling the Viet Nam Business Association in China to connect with many reputable Chinese corporations and organizations, helping them access, exchange, and work directly with strategic partners in Viet Nam. These activities have contributed to promoting the flow of bilateral economic cooperation, strengthening understanding, trust, and ties between businesses of the two countries.

We hope that in the future, VUFO will continue to accompany us even more deeply, supporting the Association in attracting major Chinese corporations to invest effectively and sustainably in Viet Nam, especially in the fields of investment, trade, services, and green logistics.

I believe that this is not only a vivid symbol of people-to-people friendship exchanges but also a clear testimony to the practical benefits and harmonious connections between the two economies, creating new momentum for comprehensive Viet Nam-China cooperation in the new period.

Dr. Tra My - President of the Viet Na m Business Association in China. (Photo: Provided by the interviewee).

- Do you have any expectations or initiatives to share with VUFO to better support the activities of the Association and the businesses of both countries?

Dr. Tra My: In the context of the increasingly substantive development of the Viet Nam-China Comprehensive Strategic Cooperative Partnership, people-to-people exchange is considered the most sustainable foundation for cultivating friendship between the two nations. As an overseas Vietnamese responsible for the Viet Nam Business Association in China, I believe this is a golden moment to use parallel economic cooperation as a lever to strengthen ties between the peoples of the two countries, especially exchanges in science and technology, innovation, tourism–services, and educational cooperation.

In terms of trade, China has always been Viet Nam’s largest trading partner worldwide, with bilateral trade reaching over 206 billion USD in 2024 (according to Vietnamese statistics) and more than 260 billion USD (according to Chinese statistics).

In terms of investment, China has become the third-largest foreign investor in Viet Nam, with total investment in 2024 reaching 4.7 billion USD and 3.13 billion USD in the first eight months of 2025.

In the field of science and technology, both countries consider innovation a driving force for national economic development. Therefore, I propose using parallel economic cooperation to foster enduring and long-lasting friendship. Businesses from both countries need to be further connected to engage more deeply in global supply chains. Select several localities (after administrative mergers), including provinces, cities, and communes from both countries to pilot friendly twinning and promote comprehensive cooperation between businesses and organizations. Build special mechanisms to enable more opportunities for direct visits and interaction, simplify administrative procedures, and support each other in trade, investment, and education to form a shared, interconnected value chain that helps both sides secure market share in the global economy.

The Viet Nam Business Association attended the Electronics Industry Congress in Shenzhen (China) in November 2025. (Photo: Provided by the interviewee).

Regarding education, I believe it is necessary to encourage universities, vocational schools, and research institutes of both countries to sign friendship cooperation agreements, exchange students and lecturers, organize international conferences, and promote academic interaction. Both sides should proactively build programs such as summer camps, winter camps, student startup clubs, and youth exchange journeys focusing on historical study and cultural experiences, helping young people of both countries understand and connect with each other more closely.

I believe that if political diplomacy is the “railway,” then people-to-people diplomacy and economic diplomacy are the “train” that carries trust, understanding, and shared interests toward the destination of success. I am confident that with the contributions of millions of Vietnamese overseas, the efforts of the business community, the younger generation, and the intellectual circles of both countries, the Viet Nam-China friendship bridge will continue to endure, bringing practical and harmonious benefits to the people of both nations.

- Thank you very much!

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