At the invitation of the Chinese Government, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh will attend the SCO Summit and conduct official engagements in China from August 31 to September 1.

Founded 24 years ago, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization has expanded from six founding members to include ten full member states, two observer countries, and fourteen dialogue partners - encompassing 26 nations across Asia, Europe, and Africa.

Today, the SCO is the world’s largest regional organization in terms of geographic reach and population, playing a vital role in promoting global peace and development.

This year’s summit, held in Tianjin, China, is expected to be the organization’s most significant event since its inception.

As one of China’s key diplomatic initiatives in 2025, the summit agenda focuses on strengthening the “Shanghai Spirit,” enhancing cooperation mechanisms, engaging in in-depth discussions on regional and international issues, and promoting multilateral cooperation in politics, security, economics, trade, and culture.

In recent years, Vietnam-China relations have continued to progress positively with many notable achievements. Marking the 75th anniversary of diplomatic ties this year, both countries have actively promoted high-level exchanges through flexible and diverse formats.

In 2024, Vietnam remained China’s largest trading partner within ASEAN and its fourth-largest trading partner globally. From January to July, bilateral trade between Vietnam and China reached USD 136.47 billion, up 21.3% compared to the same period last year.

During the same seven-month period, China led in the number of newly registered investment projects in Vietnam with 695 projects, accounting for 30.83% of the total. It ranked second in total registered capital, reaching USD 2.27 billion - a 41.6% increase.

Vietnam also welcomed more than 3.1 million Chinese visitors during this period, accounting for 25.5% of all international arrivals and ranking China as the leading source of foreign tourists.

Tran Thuong