Promote Vietnamese-Chinese cross-border trade in agricultural products

This is the first meeting between Minister Le Minh Hoan and Chinese Ambassador to Vietnam Xiong Bo.

Opening the meeting, Minister Le Minh Hoan shared since he was a child he ate rice cooked from Than Nong rice variety and recently he knew that the strain of hybrid rice was developed by Professor Yuan Longping. After hearing scientist Yuan died Minister Le Minh Hoan handed a letter of condolence to Ambassador Xiong Bo, asking him to send it to Yuan Longping’s family.

Ambassador Xiong Bo thanked Minister Le Minh Hoan for sending condolence to Academician Yuan Longping’s family. Mr. Xiong Bo said Yuan Longping was highly respected in China. His achievement on developing hybrid rice varieties was considered as the key to better food security in China.

Regarding agricultural cooperation, Minister Le Minh Hoan said China is the Vietnam’s biggest partner in agricultural trade, adding that the two sides have accompanied each other, thereby determining the direction for the coming time.

According to Minister Hoan, the complicated development of the Covid-19 pandemic over the past time made impact on the cross-border trade. However, thanks to the effort of the two sides, especially the great effort of Ambassador Xiong Bo, the agricultural export and import process was conducted without any obstacle.

In regard to trade cooperation between the two countries, particularly agricultural products, Ambassador Xiong Bo said that the market for these products still have a large space for development because China now imports agricultural products valued at more than US$ 170 billion.

Ambassador Xiong Bo added in the coming time, China continues to expand market for Vietnamese agricultural products, especially fruits. “Currently China completes licensing to open market for nine types of Vietnamese fruits including black jelly”, said Xiong Bo.

Strengthening bilateral cooperation

To boost agricultural cooperation between the two countries in the coming time, Minister Le Minh Hoan made a number of suggestions to Ambassador Xiong Bo. First, the Minister suggested the Chinese General Administration of Customs to open the door for a number of Vietnamese agricultural products which are registered and submitted, especially fruits.

“In the context of the Covid-19 pandemic, It’s difficult for experts from the two sides to travel, so we can enhance monitoring of agricultural products via online platforms, especially durian as what we did with bird’s nest before”, Minister Hoan said.

Second, he suggested organizing annual ministerial meetings between the MARD and the Chinese General Administration of Customs; from there, establishing programs or removing barriers in the cross-border trade.

Minister Le Minh Hoan also suggested that the two side should proactively coordinate to solve problems on the cross-border trade via online meetings or offline talks if possible.

Finally, the Minister suggested that it is necessary to build a strategic and comprehensive cooperation program between the Chinese Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs and the Vietnamese Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

In which focusing on the fields such as: exchanges in policies, strategies, development planning and cooperation on research, science, technology and training (concentrating on seeds, breeds, pest and disease management and rural development).

Additionally, encouraging investment in the areas China has strengths such as hi-tech agriculture (seeds, input and farming process), intensive processing, etc.

Agreeing on this issue, Chinese Ambassador Xiong Bo said that China is willing to push working online to boost cooperation between the two countries. “We will urge the localities such as Guangxi, Yunnan to solve problems involving fruit export via online platforms”, he said.

Regarding cooperation on science research, human resources training in agricultural area and intensive processing, Ambassador Xiong Bo said China is willing to cooperate and share with Vietnam. He also hopes that the ministries of agriculture of the two countries will enhance exchanges and bilateral cooperation in the coming time.

At the end of the meeting, Minister Le Minh Hoan quoted a saying of Prof. Yuan Longping “We must strive for moving from abundant food supply to enough, delicious and safe one, developing a sustainable agriculture industry  for our people”, stating that this is a development direction for Vietnamese agriculture in the coming time.