MoIT organizes trade promotion activities in Yunnan and Shandong, China
In order to implement the important common perceptions reached by the senior leaders of Vietnam and China on expanding the scale of bilateral trade and gradually moving towards trade balance, the Ministry of Industry and Trade organized a series of trade and investment promotion activities in China, including: (i) facilitating enterprises’ participation in trade and investment promotion activities and showcasing Vietnam’s key export products in Kunming, Yunnan province; (ii) organizing enterprises to participate in the 5th RCEP (Shandong) Import Expo and conduct trade and investment promotion, business matching in Linyi, Shandong province, China, from April 16 to April 22, 2026.
I. Trade and investment promotion activities and promotion of Vietnam’s key export products in Kunming, China
1. Vietnam - China (Yunnan) trade and investment promotion conference
On the afternoon of April 17, 2026, the Ministry of Industry and Trade (Agency of Foreign Trade), in coordination with the Yunnan Department of Commerce, co-organized the Vietnam - China (Yunnan) trade and investment promotion conference, attracting a large number of enterprises from both countries to participate and connect.Attending the conference, on the Vietnamese side were leaders of the Agency of Foreign Market Development, the Vietnam Commercial Consulate in Kunming, leaders of the People’s Council and departments of Bac Ninh province, along with 55 representatives from 38 typical Vietnamese enterprises; on the Chinese side were leaders of relevant divisions and units under the Yunnan Department of Commerce, leaders of the Honghe Prefecture Bureau of Commerce, the Bureau of Commerce of Qujing city, and 80 representatives from 47 Chinese enterprises and associations operating in fields such as wholesale and retail of food and agricultural products, plastic packaging, import-export, supply of processing and preservation technologies for agricultural products, and cross-border e-commerce.
Speaking at the conference, To Ngoc Son, Deputy Director of the Agency of Foreign Trade under the Ministry of Industry and Trade, emphasized that this was the first large-scale activity jointly implemented by the Ministry of Industry and Trade of Vietnam and the Yunnan Department of Commerce, taking place at a historic moment when the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership and the Vietnam - China community with a shared future of strategic significance have been elevated to a new level following the state visit to China by General Secretary, State President To Lam, in his capacity as the highest leader of the Party and State of Vietnam, making the event even more meaningful.
The representative of the Ministry of Industry and Trade noted that Yunnan, with its geographical proximity, convenient border gate system, and strong complementarity between the two sides’ economic structures, has seen notable progress in trade, investment, and logistics cooperation in recent years. However, there remains substantial untapped potential for further cooperation. To Ngoc Son stated that the conference serves as an important bridge, creating a platform for management agencies, localities, and business communities to engage in direct exchanges and seek more concrete, practical, and effective cooperation opportunities. He also stressed that the Vietnamese Government consistently attaches importance to developing economic and trade relations with China in a stable, balanced, and sustainable manner. The Ministry of Industry and Trade is committed to continuing to accompany localities, associations, and enterprises of both countries, creating the most favorable conditions within the legal framework to promote substantive and effective cooperation.
A representative from Yunnan highlighted that the conference provides an opportunity for enterprises of both sides to meet directly, establish concrete connections, and engage in practical cooperation, thereby quickly translating common understandings into specific orders, feasible projects, and sustainable partnerships.
Within the framework of the conference, enterprises from both countries held direct networking sessions, introduced products, and explored cooperation opportunities in manufacturing, consumer goods, agri-food, and industrial real estate. Many Vietnamese manufacturing and trading enterprises showcased their distinctive products with export potential to Chinese importers and received strong interest, opening up opportunities for high-quality Vietnamese products to penetrate deeper into the Chinese domestic market.
In addition, Vietnamese enterprises in the industrial real estate sector actively introduced to Chinese investors the favorable business environment, investment incentives, and synchronized infrastructure system, aiming to attract more Chinese enterprises with advanced and environmentally friendly technologies to invest, produce, and build factories in Vietnam, contributing to the country’s industrialization and modernization process.
2. Opening ceremony of the exhibition and promotion of Vietnam’s key export products
Immediately after the Vietnam - China (Yunnan) trade and investment promotion conference, leaders and enterprises from both sides attended the opening ceremony of the exhibition and promotion of Vietnam’s key export products at Tongde Square, Kunming city, Yunnan province. Attending the opening ceremony, on the Vietnamese side were leaders of the Agency of Foreign Trade, the Deputy Consul General of Vietnam in Kunming, and leaders of the People’s Council and departments of Bac Ninh province; on the Chinese side were leaders of the Yunnan Department of Commerce, representatives of relevant divisions, and leaders of the Honghe Prefecture Bureau of Commerce and the Bureau of Commerce of Qujing city.
At the event, 22 booths featuring distinctive products representing various regions of Vietnam attracted significant attention from local residents. The displayed products were highly diverse, ranging from tropical fruits such as pomelo and durian to coffee, cashew nuts, bird’s nest, anchovies, and a wide range of processed products such as dried durian, dried jackfruit, and dried mango. Each product not only carries economic value but also embodies the richness of nature, cultural identity, and the diligence and creativity of the Vietnamese people across generations, thereby serving as “ambassadors” bringing the image of Vietnam and its people closer to international friends.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, To Ngoc Son once again emphasized the significance of the activity, as it took place during the first state visit to China by General Secretary, State President To Lam in his capacity as the highest leader of the Party and State of Vietnam from April 14 to April 17, 2026. Notably, both sides are witnessing rapid progress towards the formation of a high-speed railway line connecting Kunming with Lao Cai - Hanoi - Hai Phong, helping to shorten geographical distances, expand cooperation space between Yunnan and Vietnam’s economic centers, facilitate the circulation of goods, enhance logistics efficiency, and create new momentum for bilateral economic and trade cooperation, bringing products closer to consumers of both countries.
At the ceremony, Lam Dezhong, leader of the Yunnan Department of Commerce, highly appreciated the organization by the Ministry of Industry and Trade of a large delegation comprising representatives from central to local levels and enterprises from various sectors to Kunming, Yunnan. He expressed hope that the event would serve as a new starting point to further deepen Yunnan - Vietnam cooperation, enabling more high-quality goods to enter the Chinese market and generating more cooperative outcomes that benefit the people of both countries, while continuously elevating China - Vietnam economic and trade relations to new heights.
Also at the opening ceremony, five cooperation agreements between enterprises of both sides were signed, opening prospects for long-term cooperation in areas such as trade, investment, and logistics. These include: a memorandum of understanding on high-quality Vietnamese goods trade cooperation between Nghiep Xuan Import-Export Trading Company Limited and Yunnan Dianguolian Fruit Supply Chain Management Company Limited; a memorandum of understanding on strategic cooperation to promote digital trade and facilitate Vietnamese products’ access to the Chinese market under the “three exemptions, three facilitations” policy between Gia Phat Vietnam Trading and Food Joint Stock Company and Yunnan ZLANE Technology Company Limited; a memorandum of understanding between San Ha Vietnam Company Limited and Kunming Mu Te Biotechnology Company Limited; a memorandum of understanding between Ma Cat Luong Vietnam Company Limited and Hefei Huichang Biotechnology Company Limited; and a strategic cooperation memorandum between Green Resource Environmental Industrial Engineering Joint Stock Company and Yunnan Longyuan Electric Equipment Company Limited.
The opening ceremony attracted a large number of residents and tourists in Kunming to Tongde Square for visits and shopping. Notably, the integration of traditional Vietnamese cultural and artistic elements into the program left a strong impression on the local public, contributing to promoting the image of Vietnam, its people, and cultural identity in a vivid, accessible, and emotional manner. Over the three days of the exhibition and promotion event, there were 350,000 visits for sightseeing and shopping at Tongde Square.
Within the framework of activities in Yunnan, the delegation held working sessions with leaders of the Yunnan Department of Commerce, engaging in in-depth discussions on promoting economic and trade cooperation between Vietnamese localities and Yunnan province.
In addition, the Ministry of Industry and Trade organized business delegations to visit and survey Kunming bonded warehouses, the “three exemptions, three facilitations” center, a digital economy development company, and the fresh flower trading center in Kunming city, to learn about operational models of several key industries of Yunnan province.
II. Organization of Vietnamese enterprises’ participation in the 5th RCEP (Shandong) import expo
1. Vietnamese enterprises at the 5th RCEP (Shandong) import expo
From April 19 to April 22, 2026, Vietnamese enterprises continued to showcase products and connect with distributors within the framework of the 5th RCEP (Shandong) Import Expo held in Linyi, Shandong province, China. The expo attracted participation from more than 18 countries (including the Republic of Korea, Thailand, Malaysia, Australia, Iran, Nepal, Saudi Arabia, the UK), over 400 international suppliers, and more than 5,300 Chinese buyers, with over 350,000 visitors.
The Vietnam national pavilion, covering an area of 216 square meters with a total of 21 booths, ranked second among participating countries (only after the “guest country of honor” being the Republic of Korea), showcasing distinctive Vietnamese products such as fresh fruits, dried fruits, coffee, cashew nuts, cinnamon, star anise, chocolate, anchovies, agarwood, bird’s nest, and fruit juices.
During the three days of the expo, Vietnamese specialty products attracted significant attention from residents and buyers in Linyi city in particular and Shandong province in general, while also being well received by international participants. Vietnamese enterprises not only had the opportunity to introduce and promote products to consumers but also directly connected with potential importers at their booths, initially establishing relationships for further in-depth discussions on future cooperation.
2. Vietnam - China (Linyi) trade and investment promotion conference
Within the framework of the program in Linyi, Shandong, in order to create more opportunities for Vietnamese enterprises to connect with local businesses, the Ministry of Industry and Trade (Agency of Foreign Market DevelopmentTrade), in coordination with the People’s Government of Linyi city, organized the Vietnam - China (Linyi) trade and investment promotion conference.Attending the conference, on the Vietnamese side were leaders of the Agency of Foreign Trade under the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the Vietnam Trade Counsellor in China, leaders of the People’s Council and relevant departments of Bac Ninh province, and 35 representatives from 23 Vietnamese enterprises; on the Chinese side were leaders of Linyi city, leaders of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) Shandong, leaders of CCPIT Linyi, leaders of the China Chamber of International Commerce, and 105 representatives from 83 Chinese enterprises and associations.
Speaking at the conference, To Ngoc Son emphasized the significance of the event, held at a historic moment in Vietnam - China relations, and noted that it would serve as a bridge for management agencies, localities, and business communities of Vietnam, Shandong, and Linyi to enhance exchanges and seek more concrete, practical, and effective cooperation opportunities. He expressed confidence that, with the direction of the leaders of both countries, the close coordination of competent authorities, and the dynamism and creativity of the business community, cooperation between Vietnam and Shandong would continue to grow strongly in the coming time.
Representatives of the People’s Government of Linyi city, CCPIT Shandong, and the China Chamber of International Commerce, speaking at the conference, highly appreciated Vietnam’s role in China - ASEAN relations, noting that Vietnam has great market potential and that its quality products match the demand and preferences of Linyi, while products from Linyi are also highly compatible with the Vietnamese market. Therefore, both sides still have vast room for cooperation and development, and expressed the desire for business communities of both sides to strengthen connections, fully tap this potential, promote the opening of global industrial supply chains, and contribute to building an open world economy.
At the conference, enterprises from both sides engaged in active networking and exchanges, introducing their flagship products and exploring cooperation opportunities in manufacturing, consumer goods, agri-food, and industrial real estate. The business matching session received positive feedback from the business communities of both sides, with many projects expected to enter negotiations and be implemented shortly after the conclusion of the conference.
Also at the conference, representatives of the Bac Ninh provincial delegation presented an overview of the province’s socio-economic situation, investment environment, and investment policies.
Prior to the conference, the working delegation of the Ministry of Industry and Trade and representatives of local authorities held a brief meeting with representatives of the Linyi municipal government, CCPIT Shandong, and Chinese business associations, engaging in open discussions on the potential and market demand of both sides.
Within the framework of activities in Linyi, the Ministry of Industry and Trade organized business delegations to survey and visit Linyi’s well-known wholesale market, hold discussions with Lanshan Commercial Center, and examine the city’s logistics system.
