On March 2, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh met with Professor and Doctor Qiu Yong, an alternate member of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, Party Secretary of Tsinghua University, and an Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, who was visiting Vietnam.

The Prime Minister emphasized that Vietnam and China, as socialist neighbors sharing deep historical ties, have nurtured a long-standing friendship. He recalled the contributions of President Ho Chi Minh, Chairman Mao Zedong, and generations of revolutionaries from both countries in fostering what is described as a close-knit Vietnam-China relationship - both as comrades and as brothers.

Strengthening Vietnam-China educational cooperation

Vietnam remains committed to enhancing its friendship and cooperation with China, considering it a consistent policy, an objective necessity, and a strategic priority in its independent, multilateral, and diversified foreign policy.

Vietnam seeks to work closely with China’s Party and government to advance their Comprehensive Strategic Cooperative Partnership and Shared Future Community, ensuring that bilateral relations continue to develop in a healthy, stable, and sustainable manner with practical and effective outcomes.

The Prime Minister highlighted the importance of educational collaboration, citing recent agreements signed between Vietnam’s three leading universities - Vietnam National University, Hanoi (VNU), Vietnam National University, Ho Chi Minh City (VNU-HCM), and the National Economics University (NEU) - with Tsinghua University.

These partnerships, he noted, would not only strengthen academic exchanges but also provide valuable opportunities for Vietnamese students, lecturers, and researchers to access advanced knowledge and benefit from Tsinghua’s scientific achievements.

Education has always been regarded as a cornerstone of Vietnam’s national development strategy, with the traditional belief that talented individuals are the nation's most valuable asset. The 13th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam has identified high-quality human resource development as one of three strategic breakthroughs for rapid and sustainable growth.

To further this goal, the Politburo of Vietnam recently approved a policy to provide free education from preschool to high school in all public schools nationwide, starting from the 2025–2026 academic year.

The Prime Minister called on Tsinghua University to enhance its academic cooperation with Vietnamese institutions by offering more scholarships, research opportunities, and exchange programs for Vietnamese faculty members, students, and researchers.

Commitment to expanding academic collaboration

Professor and Doctor Qiu Yong, Party Secretary of Tsinghua University, expressed his deep appreciation for Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh’s guidance and insights on strengthening educational ties. He affirmed Tsinghua University’s commitment to expanding collaboration with Vietnamese universities, research institutes, and government agencies.

The signing of cooperation agreements between Tsinghua University and Vietnam National University, Ho Chi Minh City, witnessed by Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, was a testament to this growing partnership.

On the same day, a ceremony was held by Vietnam’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Education and Training, and Vietnam National University, Hanoi, in coordination with Tsinghua University, to formally confer the title of Honorary Professor upon Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh.

Professor and Doctor Qiu Yong emphasized that Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh is an internationally influential leader, who, since taking office, has led the Vietnamese government in implementing the resolutions of the 13th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam.

Under his leadership, Vietnam has achieved remarkable economic progress, maintaining macroeconomic stability, controlling inflation, and promoting growth while ensuring social welfare improvements.

At the same time, under the guidance of Chinese Premier Li Qiang and Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, government ministries and localities in both countries have worked closely to implement the highest-level agreements between the two Communist Parties and states. These efforts have deepened the Vietnam-China Shared Future Community, yielding substantive and meaningful results.

Following careful consideration of Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh’s economic leadership and contributions to Vietnam-China relations, Tsinghua University decided to bestow upon him the distinguished title of Honorary Professor.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh expresses gratitude

In his speech at the ceremony, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh expressed his deep honor and appreciation for receiving the Honorary Professor title from Tsinghua University.

He noted that the award not only represented Tsinghua University’s recognition but also reflected the appreciation of the Chinese government and leadership for Vietnam’s achievements under the Communist Party’s leadership.

Vietnam’s economic and social development, rooted in Marxism-Leninism and Ho Chi Minh Thought, has been guided by the country’s unique history and cultural heritage, creatively applied to the modern global context. The Prime Minister emphasized that Vietnam remains steadfast in its path of socialist development and reform, which has led to significant national progress.

Furthermore, he regarded the honorary title as a symbol of China’s recognition of Vietnam’s efforts in strengthening the Vietnam-China friendship, which remains a deep and enduring relationship, built on both political and historical foundations.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh extended his sincere gratitude to the Communist Party of Vietnam, the Vietnamese government, and the country’s senior leaders, particularly General Secretary To Lam, for their continued support in his academic and professional journey dedicated to serving the nation and its people.

Tran Thuong