Officials from Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region and four Vietnamese provinces, namely Guang Ninh, Lang Son, Cao Bang, and Ha Giang, meet online on Feb 25 to sign a memorandum of friendship and cooperation. [Photo by Chen Guanyan/China News Service]

Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region signed a memorandum of friendship and cooperation with four Vietnamese provinces, namely Guang Ninh, Lang Son, Cao Bang, and Ha Giang, on Feb 25 during an online meeting.

The five parties will strive to find consensus in areas spanning joint COVID-19 pandemic prevention and control, medicine, connectivity infrastructure, port upgrading and opening-up, border management, agriculture, education, as well as culture.

Liu Ning, secretary of the CPC Guangxi Committee, expressed his hope that Guangxi and the four Vietnam provinces along the China-Vietnam border can enhance mutual trust and make more contributions to consolidating and developing the China-Vietnam comprehensive strategic partnership, as well as maintaining security and peace in border areas.

Vietnamese officials noted that they are willing to team with Guangxi in deepening cooperation.

A press communique was released after the meeting that day, putting forward that all parties will expand commerce and trade cooperation to overcome the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic under the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP). All parties will aim to boost border trade development, as well as facilitate cross-border industrial and supply chain cooperation.