Việt Nam and China to intensify substantive cooperation in all fields: Leaders

State President Võ Văn Thưởng (right) meets with General Secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and President of China Xi Jinping on Wednesday. VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — State President Võ Văn Thưởng on Wednesday hoped Việt Nam and China will intensify substantive cooperation in all fields including trade, investment, transport connections, agriculture, environment, science, technology and health during his bilateral talks with General Secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and President of China Xi Jinping.

President Thưởng affirmed that the Vietnamese Party, State and people always remember the great support of the Party, State and people of China for Việt Nam in the cause of national liberation and development.

He noted that developing relations with China is always a strategic choice and top priority in Việt Nam’s foreign policy.

General Secretary and President Xi Jinping highly appreciated Việt Nam’s attachment of importance to the bilateral relations, affirming that China always regards Việt Nam as a country with a special position and gives priority to the relations with Việt Nam in China’s neighbouring foreign policy.

President Thưởng proposed the two sides strengthen people-to-people exchanges, organise cultural exchange activities and promote communication on the two countries’ friendship.

Appreciating the proposal made by Thưởng, General Secretary and President of China Xi Jinping hoped that the two sides will continue to strengthen their political foundation and deepen practical cooperation, as well as promote economic recovery and development.

He proposed promoting strategic connections between the two economies, effectively deploying the plan to connect the “Belt and Road” initiative and “Two corridors, one belt” framework.

He also proposed building a stable regional supply chain and production chain, strengthening cooperation among State-owned enterprises, and expanding payments in local currency in bilateral trade.

General Secretary and President Xi Jinping affirmed that China is ready to expand imports of goods, especially high-quality agricultural products from Việt Nam, while encouraging Chinese enterprises to increase high-quality, typical investments.

Regarding maritime issues, President Thưởng requested the two sides persevere with peaceful measures in accordance with international law and high-level common awareness, put themselves in each other’s shoes, and control and adequately resolve disputes.

He proposed the two sides continue to coordinate closely with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in fully implementing the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC), promoting the development of an effective and substantive Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC), in accordance with international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

The two leaders agreed to strengthen cooperation at multilateral forums, contributing to regional and global peace, cooperation and development.

During the meeting with the Chinese leader the same day, Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính said the common understandings reached between the two General Secretaries, especially the building of the Việt Nam – China community with a shared future that carries strategic significance, are an important historic milestone and orientation to elevate the relations between the two Parties and two countries into a new historical period of more stable, healthy and sustainable development.

PM Chính proposed China continue to expand imports of Vietnamese agricultural and aquatic products and other items, and deploy smart border gates.

He also proposed China further promote investment in Việt Nam, especially in large and typical projects in areas where China has strengths like high technology and green transformation.

He hoped the two sides would study to establish a working group on promoting tourism recovery.

He also suggested that the two sides control disagreements and properly handle maritime issues in the spirit of friendship, mutual respect, and in accordance with international law, including the 1982 UNCLOS.

National Assembly Chairman Vương Đình Huệ welcomes Chinese General Secretary and President Xi Jinping to the National Assembly’s headquarters on Wednesday. — VNA/VNS Photo Doãn Tấn

Meeting with the Chinese leader on Wednesday, National Assembly (NA) Chairman Vương Đình Huệ proposed the Vietnamese NA and the National People’s Congress of China maintain and further strengthen exchanges and contacts at high levels as well as other levels and among specialised committees, and Friendship Parliamentary Groups.

He proposed the two legislative bodies promote their important roles in building an open and favourable legal and policy corridor and boost balanced and sustainable development of the economic and trade cooperation, especially in importing more agricultural and aquatic products from Việt Nam.

The Vietnamese NA leader also proposed the two sides strengthen coordination at international and regional inter-parliamentary forums, and support each other in hosting international forums and conferences.

General Secretary and President of China Xi Jinping expressed agreement with the proposals made by NA Chairman Huệ.

He also expressed his willingness that the two sides promote practical cooperation, and enhance infrastructure connectivity and people-to-people exchanges.

Xi showed his support for the People’s Republic of China to strengthen exchanges and cooperation with the Vietnamese NA and welcomed Chairman Huệ to visit China in 2024 to further intensify legislative cooperation. VNS

Việt Nam, China issue joint statement on building community with shared futureHÀ NỘI — Việt Nam and China yesterday issued a joint statement on continuing to deepen and elevate the comprehensive strategic co-operative partnership, building a community with a shared future that carries strategic significance.According to the statement, Việt Nam supports the building of a community with a shared future for mankind, the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilisation Initiative. Those initiatives share the goal of protecting the common interests of all mankind, for the sake of peace, justice and progress of people worldwide and to meet the desire of building a better world of the two countries’ people.At the meetings between General Secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and President of the People’s Republic of China Xi Jinping and Vietnamese leaders during his two-day State visit to Việt Nam, the two sides exchanged sincere and frank opinions on maritime issues, emphasising the need to better control and actively resolve disagreements at sea, maintaining peace and stability in the East Sea and the region.According to the joint statement, they agreed to continue to adhere to the important common understanding between senior leaders of the two Parties and countries, persevere through friendly consultations, and strengthen the government-level negotiation mechanism on territorial borders and affiliated working groups.The two sides agreed to promote the coordination role of the Việt Nam – China Bilateral Cooperation Steering Committee with higher political trust, and more practical national defence and security cooperation, together building “Two Corridors, One Belt” and “Belt and Road”.They pledged to actively seek basic, long-term solutions acceptable to both sides, in accordance with the “Agreement on basic principles guiding the settlement of sea-related issues” between the two countries and international law, including the 1982 UNCLOS.The two sides agreed to promote discussions on cooperation for mutual development at sea and discuss the delimitation of waters outside the mouth of the Gulf of Tonkin, promoting the above two matters to soon achieve substantive progress.The two sides will continue to strengthen cooperation in less sensitive areas at sea, fisheries law enforcement, aquaculture and protection of biological resources in the East Sea.They also vowed to continue to comprehensively and effectively implement the “Declaration of Conduct of Parties in the East Sea” (DOC), on the basis of consultation and consensus, to soon achieve the effective and substantive “Code of Conduct of Parties in the East Sea” (COC) in accordance with international law, including the 1982 UNCLOS.The two sides agreed that in 2024, they will jointly celebrate the 25th anniversary of land border delimitation and the 15th anniversary of the signing of three legal documents on the Việt Nam – China land border. — VNS​​