With regard to China, the successful visit to Viet Nam from December 12-13, 2023 by General Secretary of the Communist Party of China and President of China Xi Jinping, his spouse, and a high-ranking Party and State delegation of China, and the trip to China from October 30 to November 1, 2022 by Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong right after the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China were historic landmarks in the relations between the two Parties and the two countries. These particularly important events intensified and elevated the Viet Nam - China comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership, helped build a strategic community with a shared future, and created new and important favourable conditions for developing the bilateral ties more steadily, stably, and practically.

To Laos and Cambodia – the two neighbouring countries holding special positions and importance, the second high-level meeting in 30 years among the top leaders of the three Parties of Viet Nam, Laos, and Cambodia on September 7, 2023, the Vietnamese Party leader’s bilateral meetings with his counterparts of the other two countries, the meetings among the three countries’ Prime Ministers, and the three countries’ first Parliamentary Summit on December 5, 2023 strongly affirmed that their special solidarity, close-knit ties, and mutual support are objectively inevitable, vital, and also a factor of leading importance to the security and development of each nation. Viet Nam’s economic ties with the other two countries were identified as breakthrough fields while defence - security cooperation also made new progress, Trung continued.

He noted that General Secretary Trong, other key Party and State leaders of Viet Nam, and leaders of other Southeast Asian countries paid many mutual visits, exchanged opinions, and held meetings via different forms to enhance mutual understanding and outline orientations for cooperation in bilateral aspects and within the ASEAN framework, thus meeting demand of each country and ASEAN in the new context.

Viet Nam joined hands with China, Laos, and Cambodia in improving the effectiveness of border management, combating crimes, dealing with issues emerging in a timely manner, and gaining new results in the building of land borders of peace, cooperation, and development.

Besides, Viet Nam coordinated with the neighbouring coastal countries to boost partnerships in multiple areas and promote contact mechanisms on sea-related issues, he said, adding that it also persistently and resolutely protected its rights and legitimate interests in line with international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and actively contributed to the maintenance of peace and stability and the enhancement of cooperation in the East Sea.

Second, Viet Nam actively implemented the 13th National Party Congress’s policy on further promoting and strengthening bilateral cooperation with partners, especially strategic partners, comprehensive partners, and other important ones, the official went on.

the visit to Viet Nam by US President Joe Biden from September 10-11, 2023 at the invitation of Party General Secretary Trong, the two sides established the “Comprehensive strategic partnership for peace, cooperation, and sustainable development”. As a result, for the first time since the foundation of the Democratic Republic of Viet Nam, now the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam, in 1945 – which was also the year of the UN’s establishment, Viet Nam is a strategic partner or comprehensive strategic partner with all permanent members of the UN Security Council.
In late 2023, Viet Nam and Japan elevated bilateral relations to a Comprehensive strategic partnership for peace and prosperity in Asia and the world....

Nultilateral diplomacy in external relations of the Party, State, and people considerably helped bring into play the role of international institutions and laws, strengthen cooperation in the settlement of common issues, and promote national interests, he remarked, affirming that Viet Nam is an active and responsible member of the international community as seen in its engagement in global efforts in response to climate change.

The significant results of external affairs in 2023, along with the achievements assessed as “bright spots” of the last half of the 13th National Party Congress, have brought into play the role of external relations, identified by the 13th National Party Congress as the pioneer in creating and maintaining a peaceful and stable environment, mobilising external resources for development, raising Viet Nam’s stature and prestige, and generating new strategic opportunities so that the country can enhance foreign relations, secure a favourable complexion of external relations, and capitalise on new and important conditions to realise the industrialisation, modernisation, and national development targets set by the 13th National Party Congress.

The implementation results of Viet Nam’s foreign policy also had many international impacts such as contributing to common affairs of the international community, consolidating the role of ASEAN and developing countries, and reflecting the significance of a foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, peace, friendship, cooperation, development, and diversification and multilateralisation of foreign relations in the current world.
 the success of Viet Nam’s external relations firstly to the fortune, strength, and international stature and prestige that the country has never had as it does nowadays; the Party’s sound guideline for foreign relations and the foreign policy style deeply imbued with the characteristics of “Vietnamese bamboo”; and the leadership of the Party Central Committee, with the direct and regular leadership of the Political Bureau and the Secretariat of the Party Central Committee, headed by General Secretary Trong.

The Party leader, State President, Prime Minister, National Assembly Chairman, along with the Permanent member of the Party Central Committee’s Secretariat, Politburo members, members of the Secretariat, the Vice State President, Deputy PMs, and National Assembly Vice Chairpersons directly engaged in important diplomatic activities, thus strongly stepping up the implementation of the Party and State’s foreign policy, particularly towards major and important partners.
Talking about the orientations for external relations in 2024, Viet Nam will continue implementing the foreign policy identified at the 13th National Party Congress, adhere to General Secretary Trong’s directions given at the recent national conference on external affairs and the 32nd diplomatic conference, and focus on the leading task of sustaining a peaceful and stable environment and firmly protecting the country's independence, sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity.

Foreign affairs and diplomacy have played a pioneering role in mobilising external resources to serve the country's socio-economic development, Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son told a question and answer session at the National Assembly Standing Committee’s 31st sitting on March 18.
The Party and Government have also utilised foreign affairs and diplomacy in the process of policy transition to serve recovery and development, boosting economic cooperation with different partners, and signing agreements and commitments of long-term strategic significance. This has contributed to promoting economic growth, boosting exports, and attracting investment and many other important resources.
Son noted that over the past three years, the sector has coordinated with ministries and sectors to successfully advocate for 16 more titles recognised by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), raising the total number of Vietnamese heritage sites, places and famous people recognised by the organisation to 67.
Efforts have been made to care for overseas Vietnamese communities, provide timely citizen protection, and repatriate thousands of citizens from places affected by conflicts and disasters, he stressed.
Attention has been also paid to the Party building work and the prevention of corruption, he added.