Việt Nam gives top priority to developing relations with China: PM

Vietnamese Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính (right) and General Secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and President of the People’s Republic of China Xi Jinping had talks in Hà Nội on Wednesday. — VNA/VNS Photo Dương Giang

HÀ NỘI — Vietnamese Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính on Wednesday met with General Secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and President of the People’s Republic of China Xi Jinping in Hà Nội, as part of the latter’s state visit to Việt Nam.

PM Phạm Minh Chính affirmed that the visit by Party General Secretary and President Xi Jinping and his spouse demonstrated the importance the Chinese Party and State have attached to Việt Nam and the bilateral relations.

Party General Secretary and President Xi Jinping congratulated the Vietnamese people on significant achievements they have recorded under the leadership of the Communist Party of Việt Nam (CPV) and the drastic direction and management of the Vietnamese government, and praised specific and practical contributions by PM Chính to cooperation between the two countries in spheres.

The Chinese leader expressed his belief that under the leadership of the CPV, headed by General Secretary Nguyễn Phú Trọng, Việt Nam will successfully implement the Resolution adopted at the 13th Party National Congress, thus turning Vietnam into a developed, high-income country by 2045.

PM Chính also noted that Việt Nam considers developing its relations with China an objective requirement, a strategic choice and a top priority in its foreign policy, and emphasised that important common perceptions reached by the two Party General Secretaries during this visit, especially those on the new positioning of the relations between the two Parties and two countries, and building a Việt Nam-China community with a shared future that carries strategic significance, serve as historical hallmarks and important orientations to bring the relations between the two Parties and two countries into a new period of more stable, healthy and sustainable development.

He affirmed that the Vietnamese government will work closely together with the Chinese government to strengthen coordination and direct relevant agencies and localities to concretise those achievements and high-level common perceptions, helping to beef up the relations between the two Parties and two countries in a stable, sustainable and durable manner.

Party General Secretary and President Xi Jinping stressed that the Chinese Party and government attach importance to the friendly neighbourliness with Việt Nam, saying Việt Nam is a priority in China’s neighbourhood diplomacy.

He pledged to direct the Chinese government to closely coordinate with its Vietnamese counterpart to soon put in place the common perceptions, thus enabling people of the two countries to better benefit from the fruitful relations between the two Parties and two nations.

Reviewing the practical cooperation between Việt Nam and China in recent times, PM Chính said the two sides should strengthen strategic exchanges at all levels, promote the important role of the defence-security cooperation pillar, and improve the efficiency of practical cooperation in all fields.

He proposed China continue to expand the import of Vietnamese goods, including agricultural and aquatic products, and deploy smart border gates; increase investments in Việt Nam, particularly in high-tech and green transition; step up strategic infrastructure connectivity as well as transport and border gate connectivity; soon establish a working group to completely remove obstacles to pending projects; and accelerate the implementation of non-refundable aid projects.

The PM also suggested China expand financial and monetary cooperation, consider establishing a working group to push ahead with tourism recovery, enhance locality-to-locality and people-to-people exchanges, and strengthen coordination at multilateral forums.

According to the PM, the two sides should well control disagreements and properly handle issues at sea in the spirit of friendship, mutual respect, and in accordance with international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

Party General Secretary and President Xi Jinping concurred with PM Chính’s proposals and affirmed that Việt Nam and China are important partners of each other.

He urged the two sides to accelerate strategic connectivity, effectively deploy the cooperation plan connecting the “Two Corridors, One Belt” framework and the “Belt and Road” initiative, and ramp up practical cooperation in all fields, bringing tangible benefits to their people.

The two sides should work together to boost economic and trade recovery, he said, emphasising that China is ready to expand the import of high-quality goods and agricultural products from Việt Nam, and encourage capable Chinese enterprises to invest in the Southeast Asian country.

The Chinese leader suggested the two countries enhance infrastructure and supply and production chain connectivity, and raise cooperation quality in the fields of high technology and digital economy.

He underscored the need to increase cooperation to maintain security and social order and stability, and expand cultural and people-to-people exchanges to improve understanding and closeness between the people of the two countries.

The Chinese leader also suggested the two sides strengthen coordination at multilateral forums in order to build a fair and open international order, strictly implement high-level agreements and common perceptions, control and satisfactorily handle differences, and jointly maintain peace, stability, and cooperation in the region and the world. — VNS