Vietnamese Foreign Minister Le Hoai Trung met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi to discuss building political trust and broadening practical cooperation. (Vietnam MOFA)
China and Vietnam convened their ministerial-level ‘3+3’ strategic dialogue on foreign affairs, defence and public security in Vietnam’s capital Hanoi on March 16. Both countries aimed to strengthen bilateral relations, as the meeting formed part of the 17th China-Vietnam Steering Committee for Bilateral Cooperation.
The high representatives of both countries, China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Vietnam’s Deputy Prime Minister Bùi Thanh Sơn, chaired the meeting. Other senior-level echelons include Minister of Public Security Wang Xiaohong and Minister of National Defence Dong Jun, together with Vietnamese Foreign Minister Lê Hoài Trung, National Defence Minister Phan Văn Giang and Minister of Public Security Lương Tam Quang.
The three-day meeting covers a range of strategic areas for cooperation. Most notably, the meeting underscored the core framework guiding the Vietnam-China Comprehensive Strategic Cooperative Partnership, ‘six major orientations’. One agenda item that stood out was the discussion of the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea, which both sides said should be ready to be implemented as soon as possible in accordance with international law and bilateral consensus.
The meeting also focused on cooperation between law enforcement and security, such as joint maritime security, cybersecurity, fraud control, and asset management. Mega infrastructure projects were also discussed, such as a 243-mile railway line that connects Hai Phong and Hanoi to China’s Yunnan province.
Other sectors covered in the discussion varied from trade, connectivity, investment, technology and education. Furthermore, both countries reaffirmed adherence to the United Nations principles regarding multilateral efforts to maintain global peace and order.
Both China and Vietnam have just set their long-term development agendas. China’s 15th Five-Year Plan, adopted in March 2026 at the National People’s Congress, is scheduled to be implemented from 2026 to 2030. On the other hand, Vietnam had also just appointed its Secretary General, aligning with the new master plan through 2030.
About The Author
