China on Wednesday established a protocol with Vietnam to officially import fresh watermelon, making it the 15th high-quality agriculture produce to meet Chinese criteria.

Watermelons are harvested in the central highlands province of Gia Lai.

Vietnam has already been exporting watermelon to China. The new protocol means there will be more stringent criteria from now on, with China giving approval to certain growing areas and packaging processes and examining every shipment for diseases.

But growing the fruit under Chinese criteria will also guarantee that farmers will be able to sell more to this high-demand market.

China also agreed to open its market to more Vietnamese fruits such as coconut, avocado, custard apple, and bell fruit, including frozen fruits.

China will create favorable conditions for the import of medicines of plant origin, beef, pork and other livestock and poultry products.

In return, Vietnam will increase the import of Chinese sturgeon.

In the first 10 months of this year China bought $3.2 billion worth of vegetables and fruits from Vietnam as agricultural produce imports rose to a record $7.5 billion.

Vietnam accounts for 10% of China’s agricultural market, with its durian accounting for 25% of that country’s market.

China is Vietnam’s biggest trading partner, with bilateral trade quadrupling from 2014 to $235 billion last year.

Agriculture was among the areas the two countries agreed to expand their partnership in during Xi’s two-day visit, the others being infrastructure, energy, digital economy, and green development.

1,000 runners join Vietnam-China cross-border marathon

Some 1,000 runners from Vietnam, China and countries in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) participated in the first International Friendship Marathon 2023, taking place in the border city of Mong Cai, Vietnam's northern border province of Quang Ninh, on December 3.

Vietnam encourages cooperation with China during Wang Yi's visit

Vietnamese officials received Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Hanoi on Friday and expressed the desire to expand cooperation between the two strategic partners.

Vietnam, China move to tighten trade, investment links

About 150 enterprises of Vietnam and China joined in a conference held in Beijing on November 27 to promote bilateral economic, trade, and investment connections.

Vietnam treasures comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership with China: PM

The Vietnamese Party and State consistently treasure, maintain and develop the Vietnam-China comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership, considering it an objective requirement, a strategic, long-term choice and a top priority in the country’s foreign policy, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has said.

Vietnamese badminton player loses China Masters quarterfinal

Vietnam’s number one female badminton player Nguyen Thuy Linh ended her run at the 2023 China Masters after losing to South Korea’s Kim Ga-eun in the quarterfinals.

Source: VnExpress