Beijing (VNA) - The official visit to China by President of the Vietnamese National Assembly (NA) Tran Thanh Man, particularly his co-chairing of the second meeting of the cooperation committee between the Vietnamese NA and the National People’s Congress (NPC) of China, is significant in promoting legislative cooperation, improving coordination mechanisms and strengthening the legal foundation for bilateral relations.
The assessment was made by Liu Ying, a research fellow at the Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies, Renmin University of China.
In an interview with Vietnam News Agency correspondents in Beijing, Liu said the visit and meeting carried significance in three main aspects.
First, the cooperation mechanism provides an important institutional platform for the two legislative bodies to strengthen exchanges and coordination, promote bilateral collaboration and create a favourable legal environment for building a Vietnam-China community with a shared future that carries strategic significance.
Second, legislative cooperation helps improve laws and related mechanisms, supporting economic, trade and investment ties. As economic relations continue to expand, legislative exchanges, institutional coordination and the sharing of governance experience can help create a more stable, transparent and predictable environment for cooperation.
Third, closer legislative ties can translate strategic orientations into concrete measures, establishing an institutional foundation for broader cooperation. Legislative bodies can also help address difficulties in implementing bilateral agreements, contributing to stable and mutually beneficial relations.
Looking ahead, Liu identified four priorities, namely making cooperation mechanisms more practical, strengthening connectivity between laws and regulations, deepening regional coordination, and reinforcing people-to-people exchanges.
She said the two sides should maintain regular exchanges through the cooperation committee and specialised committees, and expand cooperation from the central to local legislative bodies. Meetings should also deliver concrete, actionable outcomes rather than merely exchanging views or issuing joint statements.
Regarding legal connectivity, Liu noted that differences between the two countries’ legal systems could create institutional barriers, increase transaction costs and complicate the implementation of joint projects. She recommended greater exchanges of experience in investment protection, trade and intellectual property, alongside enhanced judicial cooperation, mutual legal assistance and arbitration to resolve disputes arising from cross-border business activities.
The two sides can also expand legislative exchanges into emerging fields such as the digital economy and artificial intelligence (AI), she said.
The goal, Liu stressed, is not to eliminate differences between the two legal systems but to improve coordination and connect relevant rules in areas of shared cooperation. Better regulatory connectivity will help businesses reduce costs and risks and improve operational efficiency.
She also called for stronger legislative coordination through regional mechanisms, noting that both countries participate in the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum and other regional economic cooperation frameworks. Exchanges could promote coordination on rules, standards and cross-border governance, including infrastructure connectivity, environmental protection, transboundary river management and transnational crime combat.
Liu further highlighted people-to-people exchanges as essential to strengthening the social foundation of bilateral relations. The two legislative bodies could promote exchanges among young lawmakers, legal professionals and experts to facilitate experience sharing, personnel training and broader public support for cooperation.
Assessing the visit’s overall contribution, Liu said high-level legislative exchanges help consolidate political trust, strengthen strategic communication and reinforce confidence in the stable development of bilateral relations. Stronger legislative mechanisms will also translate shared orientations into practical laws, plans and actions.
Economically, improved legal frameworks could facilitate trade, investment, logistics and infrastructure connectivity while opening up opportunities in emerging sectors such as AI. Greater transparency and predictability will provide fresh momentum for economic development, she added./.