Chinese Friends Share Memories and Affection on Vietnam’s 80th National Day
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The opening ceremony of the program “Red Journey of Study and Research for Vietnamese Youth in China”.

The program was jointly organized by the Viet Nam Union of Friendship Organizations (VUFO) and the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC) to implement the common understanding and directives of General Secretary To Lam and General Secretary and President of China Xi Jinping. The initiative marks the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and China and the “Vietnam-China Year of People-to-People Exchange.” It aims to further strengthen traditional friendship, enhance cooperation, and promote exchange and learning between the youth of the two nations.

Strengthening Friendship Through the “Red Bloodline” of Youth

Speaking at the opening ceremony, President of the Viet Nam Union of Friendship Organizations Phan Anh Son expressed his delight to return to Chongqing - a city deeply associated with many glorious pages in the history of Vietnam–China friendship.

President of the Viet Nam Union of Friendship Organizations Phan Anh Son.

He noted that this “Red Journey” offers the Vietnamese delegation an opportunity to “gain deeper insights into Vietnam-China relations, the friendship and comradeship between the two countries, as well as China’s development in general and Chongqing’s in particular.” Through the exchange and study activities, the delegation would “learn valuable lessons on national construction and development amid the new phase of global competition and rapid advances in science and technology.”

President Phan Anh Son expressed his confidence that the program would “open up new opportunities to promote Vietnam–China cooperation.” He also hoped that in 2026 and the following years, CPAFFC and VUFO would continue to coordinate in organizing more programs and launch new, practical, and effective initiatives to further solidify the foundation of people-to-people friendship.

On behalf of the Chongqing Municipal Party Committee and Government, Li Mingqing warmly welcomed the Vietnamese youth delegation to visit and study in the city.

He noted that under the direct guidance of President Xi Jinping, Chongqing currently shoulders two strategic missions: becoming a key pillar of the Western Development Strategy and forming a comprehensive inland opening-up hub. Vietnam, he added, is now Chongqing’s largest trading partner within ASEAN, with bilateral trade turnover reaching 39.8 billion yuan (equivalent to over 145 trillion VND) in 2024.

“Youth are the future of the nation, and they are the inheritors and developers of China-Vietnam friendship. We hope that through the Red Journey, young people of both countries will gain a deeper understanding of history and revolutionary spirit, and together write a new chapter in the friendship between our two Parties and States,” Li Mingqing emphasized.

Speaking at the ceremony, Yang Wanming, President of the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, affirmed that the “Red Journey of Study and Research” is a key project initiated by the senior leaders of both countries during the state visit of General Secretary and President Xi Jinping to Vietnam in April 2025. The program, he said, reflects the profound sentiment and great expectations of the leaders of the two Parties and States for the continuation of the “red gene” - the revolutionary bloodline - among the younger generations of China and Vietnam. It also opens up a new, deeper, and more practical model of people-to-people exchange.

President of the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries Yang Wanming and President of the Viet Nam Union of Friendship Organizations Phan Anh Son presented flags to representatives of Vietnamese and Chinese youth delegates.

“The foundation of China-Vietnam friendship lies among the people, and its future rests with the younger generation. We must nurture revolutionary ideals together so that the friendship of being both comrades and brothers will continue to be passed down through generations,” Yang emphasized.

“Red Gene” - Expanding Cooperation in New Fields

Representing the Vietnamese youth delegation, Nguyen Thi Cam Tien emphasized the responsibility of today’s young generation to preserve, continue, and promote the precious traditional relationship nurtured over the decades by the leaders and people of both countries.

She affirmed: “Vietnamese youth in general, and the young people of Ho Chi Minh City in particular, are always aware that fostering the Vietnam–China friendship is not only the continuation of our predecessors’ legacy but also a responsibility closely tied to the aspirations of the younger generation in the new era.”

According to Tien, the close bond between the two peoples should be carried forward through concrete actions by every youth union member - from learning and self-improvement to exchange, cooperation, and innovation - in order to become global citizens capable of making meaningful contributions to their countries and serving as bridges of friendship with international friends.

“We believe that this journey will not only be one of knowledge but also a journey of friendship, trust, and youthful aspiration - spreading among the peoples of both nations the spirit of solidarity and friendship built and cultivated by previous generations.”

Representing Chinese youth, Liu Jihao, a student from Sichuan International Studies University, expressed his joy in welcoming the Vietnamese youth delegation to Chongqing - “a city of magnificent rivers and mountains and indomitable revolutionary spirit.” He recalled many profound historical milestones in Vietnam-China relations, from the years when President Ho Chi Minh carried out revolutionary activities in Chongqing to the times when the peoples of both nations fought shoulder to shoulder in the wars against French and American invaders.

“During Vietnam’s resistance wars against the French and Americans, more than 1,400 Chinese soldiers heroically sacrificed their lives and now rest in peace on Vietnamese soil. The saying ‘Vietnam and China - deep friendship, comrades and brothers’ has become an everlasting shared memory of our two peoples,” he said.

Leaders and youth delegates then joined in singing the song “Vietnam-China.”

Chongqing, he noted, is not only a symbol of heroism but also a city with vast potential for cooperation with Vietnam. Vietnamese coffee, fruits, and seafood products have become increasingly popular among Chongqing households, while the city’s automobile parts, motorbike components, and electronic products are being exported in growing volumes to Vietnam.

Looking toward the future, Liu Jihao emphasized that the youth of both countries should carry forward the “red gene” passed down by their predecessors and strengthen cooperation in emerging areas such as artificial intelligence, digital economy, and green development - contributing their youthful energy to the socialist cause of each nation, and to peace, stability, and prosperity in the region.

As part of the program, the Vietnamese youth delegation will visit and study at historic revolutionary sites in Chongqing where President Ho Chi Minh once carried out revolutionary activities in China. The delegates will tour the Hongyan Revolutionary Spirit Memorial Museum, Beiping Liberation Site, and Yangtze River Port, and take part in the Vietnam-China Youth Forum on Cooperation in the New Era. The program is expected to enhance mutual understanding, facilitate the sharing of development experiences, and inspire national pride and international solidarity among the young people of both countries.

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