Chongqing, November 8, 2024 – The Europe Today: During his visit to China for the eighth Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) Summit, Vietnamese Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính met with Vietnamese students and community representatives in Chongqing City on Friday. Prime Minister Chính is the first Vietnamese leader to visit Chongqing in 15 years, underscoring the significance of this diplomatic engagement.
Vietnamese Ambassador Phạm Sao Mai informed Prime Minister Chính that Chongqing is home to approximately 400 Vietnamese students and nearly 600 Vietnamese nationals who work and conduct business in the area, comprising a quarter of the total Vietnamese population in western China. Ambassador Mai highlighted that the Vietnamese community in Chongqing has consistently adhered to local laws, supported each other, maintained close ties to Vietnam, and contributed positively to Việt Nam-China relations.
During the meeting, community representatives urged the Prime Minister to encourage Vietnamese ministries and sectors to assist with legal procedures and requested that China provide more scholarships for Vietnamese students, particularly in Chongqing, to facilitate their education and research opportunities.
Updating the community on Vietnam’s socio-economic progress, Prime Minister Chính noted that Việt Nam has established diplomatic relations with 193 countries and signed 17 free trade agreements. He highlighted that the country’s GDP reached approximately $430 billion in 2023, with a per capita income of around $4,300, placing it among the world’s 34 largest economies and among the top 20 in trade.
Prime Minister Chính emphasized the role of the overseas Vietnamese community, including over six million Vietnamese nationals in 130 countries, as ambassadors of friendship and a significant economic force, with remittances amounting to $14 billion last year. He encouraged the Vietnamese Embassy and representative agencies in China to foster community unity, implement the Party and State’s foreign policy, and ensure comprehensive support for the Vietnamese community in Chongqing.
Prime Minister Chính expressed hope that the Vietnamese community in Chongqing would continue to comply with local regulations and contribute to strengthening both Việt Nam-China relations and the development of their homeland.
