Việt Nam, China reach consensus on strengthening community of shared future, resolving maritime disputes: foreign minister

Minister of Foreign Affairs Bùi Thanh Sơn. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — Việt Nam and China’s top leaders reached a broad consensus on further strengthening the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership, guided by the ‘six enhancements’ framework, with a focus on solidifying the shared understandings and agreements between the two sides, Minister of Foreign Affairs Bùi Thanh Sơn said of the State-level visit by Party leader and President Tô Lâm to China.

In the interview with local media following the visit at the invitation of Chinese Party General Secretary and President Xi Jinping, Sơn said the visit was a particularly important diplomatic event between Việt Nam and China this year.

“The visit was a success on all fronts, contributing significantly to the construction of a Việt Nam-China Community of Shared Future that carries strategic significance, which in turn contributes to peace, stability, and development in the region and the world,” Sơn said.

General Secretary, President Tô Lâm had a busy and meaningful schedule with 18 activities over more than two days.

During the visit, both sides issued a Joint Statement on further enhancing the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership and deepening the construction of the Việt Nam-China Community of Shared Future. Various ministries, sectors, and localities from both countries signed multiple cooperation documents in fields such as inspection and quarantine, customs, healthcare, media, local cooperation and social welfare.

In line with the spirit of the Joint Statement and the high-level consensus achieved during this visit, the two sides will focus on promoting cooperation in five main areas, according to the foreign minister.

First, the two will continue strategic exchanges between the senior leaders of the two Parties and countries, strengthening the foundation of political trust and jointly directing the construction of a Việt Nam-China Community of Shared Future with strategic significance. This will involve fully utilising the roles of the Party-to-Party channels, the cooperation mechanisms between the National Assembly of Việt Nam and the National People’s Congress of China, the Việt Nam Fatherland Front and the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference and defence, security and diplomatic exchange mechanisms. The two sides agreed to strengthen the overall coordination role of the Việt Nam-China Bilateral Cooperation Steering Committee.

Second, the two will focus on implementing the ‘six enhancements’, continuing to firm up the high-level shared understandings and signed agreements, achieving new progress in practical cooperation, facilitating trade, expanding exports of Vietnamese agricultural and aquatic products to the Chinese market and promoting strategic connectivity between the two countries. This includes effectively implementing the cooperation plan connecting the ‘Two Corridors, One Belt’ framework with China’s transport initiative.

They will expedite the ‘hard connectivity’ between the two countries in terms of high-speed railways, highways and border infrastructure, as well as upgrade ‘soft connectivity’ in areas like smart customs and smart border gates. Both sides encourage and support capable, reputable companies with advanced technology to invest in each other’s countries, focusing on enhancing cooperation in fields such as agriculture and infrastructure, while expanding cooperation in new areas like the digital economy, circular economy, green development, clean energy and renewable energy.

The two have also agreed to designate 2025 as ‘Việt Nam-China Cultural Exchange Year’ during which a series of activities will be organised to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Việt Nam and China. They will enhance cultural exchanges and cooperation in media, news, publishing, radio and television, as well as healthcare, traditional medicine, disaster prevention and mitigation. Local cooperation and people-to-people exchanges, particularly among the younger generations, will be expanded and tourism cooperation will be promoted, with more direct flights and increased visits between the two countries.

Fourth, Vietnamese and Chinese leadership concurred on strengthening multilateral coordination and cooperation, enhancing collaboration in mechanisms such as the United Nations and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum and supporting each other’s candidacies for international organisations. China supports Việt Nam in hosting APEC 2027 and in joining and playing a role in multilateral mechanisms. China also supports ASEAN in building a united, resilient, and developing ASEAN Community, while maintaining its central role in the regional architecture.

Finally, the two sides have agreed to effectively manage and actively resolve maritime disputes, continuing to implement high-level common perceptions, reaffirming the importance of maintaining and promoting peace, stability and freedom of navigation and overflight in the East Sea (known internationally as the South China Sea) and agreed to resolve disputes in a peaceful manner in line with international law, especially the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

Việt Nam and China will continue to cooperate in effectively implementing the legal documents on the land border and related agreements, strengthening cooperation in the Việt Nam-China land border area and organising celebrations for the 25th anniversary of the signing of the Land Border Treaty (1999) and the 15th anniversary of the signing of the three legal documents on the Việt Nam-China land border, Minister of Foreign Affairs Sơn said. — VNS