Representatives from Vietnam and China's Hainan province pose for a group photo at the inauguration ceremony (Photo: VNA)
The office was launched on April 8, reflecting high level commitments outlined in the Vietnam, China joint statement during the April 2025 visit to Vietnam by Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China and state president.
Officials from the ministry of industry and trade described the office as a concrete outcome of cooperation with the Hainan provincial government, following memoranda of understanding signed a year earlier.
They called on Hainan authorities, China’s ministry of commerce and relevant agencies to support the office’s operations, particularly in trade and investment promotion and business matching, positioning it as a bridge to strengthen economic links between the two sides.
Business associations and enterprises were urged to leverage the office to expand investment and commercial cooperation, capitalising on complementary strengths and promoting more substantive engagement.
A representative of the Hainan government highlighted Vietnam as one of China’s key trading partners in ASEAN, noting strong complementarities in sectors such as tropical agriculture, logistics, the digital economy and tourism. The official expressed confidence that the office would enhance information exchange and business connectivity.
Hoang Van Tuan, minister counsellor at the Vietnamese embassy in China, said the office represents a practical step to deepen bilateral cooperation and realise shared high level commitments. He also acknowledged the role of Vietnam’s existing trade promotion offices in China in supporting the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership.
The embassy pledged continued coordination with the ministry of industry and trade to expand the network of trade promotion offices across China.
The Haikou office is expected to serve as a focal point for trade promotion, business connectivity and investment cooperation.
According to Vietnamese data, bilateral trade reached USD 256 billion in 2025, up 24.7 per cent year on year, with exports to China at USD 70.4 billion and imports at USD 186 billion. Chinese figures put total trade at USD 296.1 billion, up 13.67 per cent, including USD 97.9 billion in exports from Vietnam and USD 198.15 billion in imports. Trade between Vietnam and Hainan remained modest at about USD 1.4 billion in 2025.