Favorable agricultural trade between Vietnam and Guangxi

Mr. Do Nam Trung, Consul General of Vietnam in Nanning, Guangxi, affirmed that he views people as the center of trade activities between Vietnam and China.

“Vietnam has always believed that the heart of diplomacy should be people, businesses, and locales. We make every effort to serve as a bridge between the citizens, businesses, and ministries of the two nations", said Consul General Do Nam Trung.

Mr. Trung affirmed that the Zhuang Autonomous Region in Guangxi is a strategic province in terms economic cooperation with Vietnam. Guangxi province plays a special role in historical traditions, economy, trade, and human relations.

The Consul General emphasized that the cooperative relationship between Guangxi and Vietnam is in an extremely favorable position.

Firstly, Vietnam and China are on very good terms. Regarding geographical location, Guangxi shares both land and sea borders with multiple provinces in Vietnam. Commodity traffic between the two countries is facilitated by roads, railwasy, seaports and airports. Furthermore, there are many cultural parallels between China and Vietnam, and the two countries' populations have a long-standing bond.

The total import-export turnover of agricultural, forestry and fishery products between Vietnam and China reached 14.2 billion USD in 2022, which is an increase of at least 12% compared to that of 2021. Namely, Vietnam's exports to China reached 10.4 billion USD, up by 10% compared to 2021; China's exports to Vietnam reached 3.7 billion USD, up by 19% compared to 2021.

“Trade between Vietnam and China has been forecast develop strongly after the the Covid-19 pandemic was controlled. However, several challenges remain to be solved. Firstly, domestic and world consumption demand has been on a declining trend. Post-Covid customs clearance processes have faced multiple issues. Lastly, the two governments have not cooperated effectively in order to create a favorable environment for local businesses", commented Mr. Trung.

The Consul General also drew attention to several potential products which have not been officially exported to China, including grapefruit, avocado, sugar apple, whip, coconut, cardamom, pineapple.

Ms. Hua Can, Deputy Director of Guangxi Province Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, affirmed agricultural cooperation between Guangxi and Vietnam has developed stably over the years, with "constant, new breakthroughs". Multiple China - ASEAN agricultural exhibitions and fairs were held to promote a favorable development environment for local businesses.

“The Director of Guangxi Department of Agriculture and Rural Development visited and worked with several partners in Vietnam in April. Subsequently, the two parties signed seven agricultural projects, amounting to a total of 10 billion yuan", reported Ms. Hua.

Ms. Hua emphasized that Guangxi province is one of China's major agricultural provinces, and the fruit center of 1.4 billion Chinese people. “For every four oranges on the market, at least one comes from Guangxi province. In addition, Guangxi's jasmine, flowerhorn, and silk are ranked first in China as well as the global market. For every ten jasmine flowers sold, six are from Hoanh Chau, Guangxi; 85% of the world's flowerhorn come from Guilin, Guangxi; 60% of silk production in China also comes from Guangxi. These are the solid foundations for agricultural cooperation between the provinces of Vietnam and China”.

Regarding agricultural techniques, Guangxi has cooperated with Hung Yen province, Vietnam on plant varieties. Guangxi has also coordinated with Vietnam's border provinces to construct disease control stations. 

“Regarding cooperation in the aquacultural sector, China and Vietnam have released more than 300 million fish seed into the Gulf of Tonkin. In addition, the prospect of trade cooperation between the two countries is developing rapidly. Vietnamese durian, banana, and dragon fruit are favored by Chinese consumers. The majority of these agricultural products travel through Guangxi border gates.”

Ms. Hua added that China is currently promoting the export of onions to Vietnam. Guangxi province aims to further enhance this flow of import and export, standardize agricultural products from both countries, and speed up the clearance time.

Van Xuyen Co., Ltd. in Guangxi province has reently built a pilot crop production area to introduce agricultural technology to Vietnamese farmers. The seed industry is Guangxi's target for development cooperation with Vietnam. The province is also willing to cooperate with Vietnamese localities in agricultural mechanization.