Vietnam, China's Guangxi discuss measures to boost trade following reopening

HANOI - Vietnam will implement a number of activities to help local businesses further expand its exports to Southwest China's Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region after China adjusted its COVID-19 response policies on Jan 8, local officials said on Thursday.

The Southeast Asian country is willing to coordinate with relevant ministries and sectors to support Chinese enterprises to strengthen exchanges and cooperation with Vietnamese partners, said Trinh Thi Bich Ngoc, an official with the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

For many years Guangxi has acted as a very important bridge in promoting bilateral trade between Vietnam and China, To Ngoc Son, deputy director general of the Asia-Africa Market Department under Vietnam's Ministry of Industry, told a trade and economic cooperation conference held on Thursday.

Guangxi now has 181 enterprises investing in Vietnam under non-financial type, while Vietnam has established 57 enterprises in the neighboring Chinese autonomous region with a contracted investment of $184 million, online newspaper VietnamPlus reported.

Vietnam has remained the Chinese autonomous region's largest trade partner for 23 consecutive years, customs data showed.