General Secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and Chinese President Xi Jinping presented China’s Friendship Medal to General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Nguyen Phu Trong on Trong’s visit to China. 

At the award ceremony held at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Monday, Xi hailed the Vietnamese leader as a staunch Marxist and a good and sincere friend of the CPC and the Chinese people. 

The Chinese leader also appreciated General Secretary Trong for his consistency in maintaining the traditional friendship between China and Vietnam, directing and promoting the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries, and consolidating the bilateral political trust.

The CPC is willing to coordinate with the CPV, led by Trong, to inherit the traditional friendship created and cultivated by Mao Zedong, Ho Chi Minh, and other older-generation leaders of the two Parties and two nations, and to lead China-Vietnam relations to gain greater achievements, Xi told his guest.

Trong, who arrived in Beijing on October 30 for his three-day visit at Xi’s invitation, thanked Xi for awarding him the medal, which the former said was not only an honor to him but also reflected the friendship and respect the CPC, Chinese state, and Xi himself have for the CPV and the Vietnamese state and people. 

Vietnam will continue to further deepen the Vietnam-China friendly relations as “comrades and brothers” toward "realizing a brighter future," Xinhua news agency cited Trong as saying.

The Vietnamese Party chief also expressed his hope for the friendship between the two nations to last forever, and that the bilateral relations will become “a model of international relations from generation to generation.”

General Secretary Trong is the eighth foreign political leader to be awarded the Friendship Medal by China, and the tenth foreign individual to receive the honor.

As the highest recognition and honor of the People’s Republic of China for foreigners, the Friendship Medal is bestowed on individuals who have greatly contributed to China’s modernization, promoted exchange and cooperation between China and other countries, and maintained world peace.

After the ceremony, Xi hosted a tea party for Trong at the Great Hall, during which the two sides exchanged the tea culture of each country and discussed the relationship of the two Parties and states.

Earlier on the same day, the two leaders witnessed the signing of 13 documents on bilateral cooperation in various fields after they had talks that focused on steps to further bolster the comprehensive strategic cooperation ties between the two countries.

Currently, China is the largest trade partner and the second-biggest export market for Vietnam, while Vietnam tops the list of China’s trade partners in ASEAN and is China’s sixth-largest trade partner in the world. 

At their talks, Trong invited Xi to visit Vietnam soon and the latter accepted the invitation with pleasure.

Like us on Facebook or  follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!