Chongqing (VNA) – Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh met Vietnamese students and representatives of the Vietnamese community in Chongqing city on November 8, as part of his trip to China to attend the eighth Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) Summit, and hold working activities in the neighbouring country.

Vietnamese Ambassador Pham Sao Mai informed PM Chinh, the first Vietnamese leader to visit Chongqing in 15 years, that there are currently 400 Vietnamese students and nearly 600 Vietnamese nationals living, working, and doing business in the city, accounting for 25% of the total number of Vietnamese people in western China.

In recent years, they have consistently adhered to local laws, remained united with, caring for, and supportive of one another, and always maintained strong ties with their homeland, while contributing to the development of the Vietnam-China relationship, said Mai.

At the meeting, the representatives proposed the Government leader direct relevant ministries and sectors to assist the Vietnamese community in Chongqing with legal procedures, and urge China to create favourable conditions and provide additional scholarships for Vietnamese students studying and conducting research in the country, particularly its Chongqing city.

Briefing them on the socio-economic development situation at home, Chinh said that Vietnam has diplomatic relations with 193 countries around the world and has signed 17 free trade agreements. In 2023, its GDP reached approximately 430 billion USD, with per capita income around 4,300 USD. It is listed among the 34 largest economies in the world, and the top 20 economies globally in terms of trade.

More than 6 million Vietnamese people are living in 130 countries around the world, serving as a bridge of friendship between Vietnam and the countries, and playing a significant role in investing in Vietnam, he stressed, adding that last year, they sent home 14 billion USD in remittances.

The PM urged the embassy and Vietnamese representative agencies in China to continue establishing organisations and associations to unite the community, effectively implement the foreign policy of the Party and State, including economic diplomacy, and ensure comprehensive support for the community’s well-being.

He expressed his hope that the Vietnamese community in Chongqing will continue to follow local laws, and contribute more to the homeland as well as the Vietnam-China relations./.