HANOI, Jan. 18 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Ambassador to Vietnam Xiong Bo on Monday stressed further solidarity and cooperation between China and Vietnam amid unprecedented changes in the world and the COVID-19 pandemic, so as to achieve common development.

Xiong made the remarks at an online event marking the 71st anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and Vietnam.

Looking back on 2020, Xiong said that the relations between the two countries have expanded and deepened, with their bilateral trade volume surpassing 190 billion U.S. dollars and China becoming Vietnam's third-largest source of foreign investment.

Moreover, China and Vietnam aided each other and shared experience in the battle against COVID-19, and strengthened cooperation in international and regional affairs, championing multilateralism, cooperation and joint efforts in the face of global challenges, he said.

"Under new circumstances, the China-Vietnam relations are of great strategic significance to the stability and development of the two countries, as well as regional peace and stability," Xiong said.

China is willing to boost political mutual trust, continue to deepen cooperation and promote its traditional friendship with Vietnam with further high-level communications, further trade and more people-to-people exchanges, he continued.

Also at the event, Nguyen Xuan Cuong, member of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and Vietnam's minister of agriculture and rural development, said that despite the impacts of COVID-19 on the global economy last year, the two countries saw their trade and cooperation grow, which benefited both sides.

Cuong believes that with joint efforts, the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership between China and Vietnam will be consolidated and deepened and make new progress, which goes in line with the common will and interests of the countries and their peoples, and will contribute to regional and global peace, cooperation and development. Enditem