China Vietnam Photo: VCG

China and Vietnam will deepen multilateral cooperation under the mechanisms such as RCEP, APEC and WTO to safeguard the global free trade system and build a global industrial chain and supply chain that is safe, open, stable, efficient and inclusive, and mutually beneficial and win-win, Shu Jueting, spokesperson for China's Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM), told a regular press conference on Thursday.

Shu made the remarks after China and Vietnam announced the new positioning of bilateral relations and agreed to build a China-Vietnam community with a shared future that carries strategic significance for both countries.

Shu said that the MOFCOM will work with Vietnam's relevant departments to upgrade the practical cooperation between the two nations.

The ministry will ensure stable and smooth flow of bilateral trade, Shu said. MOFCOM will give full play to the role of the working group on smooth trade flow and other mechanisms, and jointly promote cooperation in upgrading and opening China-Vietnam border crossings as well as building intelligent border crossings. 

MOFCOM will support the development of micro border trade and cross-border e-commerce, in a bid to enhance the efficiency of bilateral trade exchanges, according to Shu.

The two countries will strengthen exchanges and cooperation in emerging fields of digital economy, green economy and clean energy, Shu said, noting that MOFCOM will expand economic and trade cooperation in agricultural domain too. 

The ministry will make good use of exhibitions and cross-border e-commerce platforms such as the Canton Fair and China-ASEAN Expo to support the expansion of high-quality agricultural products imported from Vietnam. 

In addition, it will support enterprises to strengthen trade cooperation in rice and cassava, and enhance collaboration in the production and supply chains of agricultural products, Shu said.

As this year marks the 15th anniversary of the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership between China and Vietnam, bilateral trade has maintained strong growth momentum. 

The trade volume between China and Vietnam reached 1.45 trillion yuan ($202 billion) in the first 11 months this year, up 3.6 percent year-on-year. In November alone, bilateral imports and exports hit a monthly record of 161.92 billion yuan, up 12.5 percent year-on-year, according to data released by China's General Administration of Customs.

Global Times