Dao Viet Anh, Head of the International Relations Department at the Vietnam Trade Promotion Agency, speaks at the conference. (Photo: VNA)

A Vietnam - China (Chongqing) business conference was held by the Vietnam’s Trade Promotion Agency (VIETRADE), under the Ministry of Industry and Trade, in coordination with the Chongqing Municipal Commission of Commerce (China) in Hanoi on April 11, as part of the 2025 National Trade Promotion Programme.

Speaking at the event, a representative from VIETRADE emphasised the increasingly close coordination between the two sides in organising trade fairs, exhibitions, and networking events, contributing to deeper business cooperation.

In the first quarter of 2025, bilateral trade between Vietnam and China reached 51.2 billion USD, up 17.5% year-on-year, with expectations for continued growth throughout the year. China remains Vietnam’s largest trading partner, while Vietnam is among China's top six trading partners globally.

Cooperation between Vietnam and Chongqing has also seen positive developments, supported by strategic agreements at the central level and enhanced by trade infrastructure such as the Vietnam–Chongqing–Europe rail corridor. However, trade turnover between Vietnam and Chongqing, reaching 5.68 billion USD in 2024, still accounts for a modest share of overall Vietnam - China trade.

The event also highlighted the potential for Vietnamese small and medium-sized enterprises to access Chongqing’s growing demand for high-value, eco-friendly, and locally adapted products. Processed agricultural products, in particular, are seen as a promising area of cooperation, given the city’s shifting consumption trends and desire for stable, high-quality supply chains./.