Viet Nam, China step up agritrade and investment cooperation

Minister Trinh Viet Hung holds talks with Chinese Minister of Agriculture and Rural Affairs Zhang Zhu to strengthen agricultural, investment ties and address export bottlenecks.

On August 24, in Hangzhou (China), on the sidelines of the 11th APEC Food Security Ministerial Meeting, Vietnamese Minister of Agriculture and Environment Trinh Viet Hung held a bilateral meeting with Zhang Zhu, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of China.

The meeting was particularly significant as both ministers had only recently assumed their new positions. Minister Trinh Viet Hung congratulated Minister Zhang Zhu on being entrusted by the Communist Party and the State of China with the position of Minister of Agriculture and Rural Affairs in April 2026. He noted that the meeting was a fortuitous encounter in their professional journeys, as both sides were embarking on new chapters in their respective roles.

During the meeting, the two ministers praised the bilateral outcomes of agricultural and trade cooperation and discussed measures to further promote cooperation, strengthen business linkages, and address bottlenecks in the import and export of agricultural, forestry, and fishery products.

Promoting agricultural trade

Minister Trinh Viet Hung expressed his sincere appreciation to the Chinese Government, the General Administration of Customs of China (GACC), and China’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs for their attention and support in facilitating Viet Nam’s exports and imports of agricultural, forestry and fishery products to and from the Chinese market.

In particular, ahead of the working visit, China Customs and the GACC approved more than 400 additional durian growing-area codes for Viet Nam. The Minister described this as a tangible outcome of the cooperation and friendship between the two countries.

On spiny lobster exports to China, Minister Trinh Viet Hung said bilateral cooperation had made positive progress since 2019. Two-way trade and export turnover had continued to grow, creating favorable conditions for businesses and farmers in both countries. The product is also highly popular among Chinese consumers. In 2022 alone, Viet Nam exported 3,400 tonnes of live spiny lobster to China, with an estimated export value of around US$170 million.

However, since 2023, China’s Law on the Protection of Wildlife has introduced several new technical requirements, creating difficulties for Viet Nam. Minister Trinh Viet Hung asked Minister Zhang Zhu to pay attention to the issue and support efforts to overcome these obstacles.

Minister Trinh Viet Hung proposed holding the third session of the bilateral Cooperation Committee by the end of 2026. The two sides previously held the first session in Hanoi in 2018. In November 2025, then Vietnamese Minister of Agriculture and Environment Tran Duc Thang traveled to China for the second session. Minister Trinh Viet Hung invited Minister Zhang Zhu to lead the Chinese delegation to Viet Nam and co-chair the meeting.

Another proposal was to organize a business forum on trade and investment connections in the agricultural sector between the two countries in 2027, ahead of Viet Nam’s hosting of APEC. Minister Trinh Viet Hung also invited Minister Zhang Zhu to attend the 12th APEC Food Security Ministerial Meeting, to be held in Ho Chi Minh City in 2027.

China to collaborate to address difficulties

Minister Zhang Zhu said that trade between China and Viet Nam, as well as agricultural cooperation between the two countries, had grown strongly in recent years. Regarding wildlife and related products, Minister Zhang Zhu said China has consistently worked to protect the ecological environment and promote sustainable development, while remaining ready to work with Viet Nam on lawful activities in compliance with relevant regulations.

Since early this year, China’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs has been actively coordinating with the GACC on related matters. The GACC has also sent officials to Viet Nam to conduct inspections and assessments.

China’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs will continue to maintain exchanges with relevant agencies and stands ready to cooperate with Viet Nam in technical areas, improving breeding and seed stock quality, advancing artificial breeding, promoting the protection of ecological resources and wildlife, and supporting the sustainable development of fisheries.

Minister Zhang Zhu also said that the Chinese Embassy had proposed that Viet Nam strengthen management and standardize aquaculture and artificial breeding practices, ensuring that products exported from Viet Nam to China are traceable.

Strengthening business connectivity

Regarding the meetings proposed by Minister Trinh Viet Hung, Minister Zhang Zhu said China would send a delegation to Viet Nam to attend the 12th APEC Food Security Ministerial Meeting. The two sides could hold the third session of the bilateral Cooperation Committee on the sidelines of the meeting, providing an opportunity to review progress in bilateral cooperation, develop plans for future work, and promote high-quality cooperation and development.

Regarding the business forum, Minister Zhang Zhu agreed with Minister Trinh Viet Hung that trade, investment and agricultural cooperation between the two countries have a solid foundation and strong prospects. China is keen to work with Viet Nam to organize investment and trade promotion activities in the agricultural sector and strengthen business-to-business connections.

In addition, China will host the 23rd China International Agricultural Trade Fair in mid-October this year. Minister Zhang Zhu welcomed Vietnamese businesses to bring their companies and products to China to participate in the exhibition, noting that the two sides could use the occasion to organize related business-matching activities.

To conclude, two ministers agreed that each side would soon designate focal points to coordinate and reach agreement on the timing and agenda of the proposed activities. They also expressed satisfaction with shared readiness to further deepen practical agricultural cooperation.

Khuong Trung