Vietnam and China vow to concretise joint statement, elevate partnership
VOV.VN - Vietnam and China will work closely together to realise the December 2023 joint statement on continuing to deepen and elevate the Comprehensive Strategic Cooperative Partnership and build a China-Vietnam community with a shared future that carries strategic significance.
The agreement was reached during talks in Dalian, China, on June 24 between Chinese Premier Li Qiang and his visiting Vietnamese counterpart Pham Minh Chinh. The Vietnamese PM arrived in Dalian on June 24 to attend the 15th World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting of the New Champions and pay a working visit to China from June 25-27.
Chinh affirmed that Vietnam considers developing relations with China to be an objective requirement, strategic choice and top priority in its foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, and multilateralization and diversification of international relations.
Meanwhile, Li emphasized that China always considers Vietnam a priority in its overall neighbourhood diplomacy, and that China supports Vietnam to successfully carry out its national industrialization and modernization cause while increasing its international role.
The two sides agreed to maintain visit exchanges, increase cooperation in key areas such as diplomacy, defense, and security, and facilitate cooperation between localities and organizations, while building a land border of peace, stability, cooperation and development, as well as well controlling disagreements and maintaining peace and stability at sea.
Chinh stressed that the two sides need to constantly innovate thinking, create creative measures, and show resolves to effectively realise common perceptions and high-level agreements reached by their top leaders.
He proposed that Vietnam and China accelerate transport infrastructure connection, including developing standard gauge railway lines of Lao Cai - Hanoi - Hai Phong; Lang Son – Hanoi; and Mong Cai - Ha Long - Hai Phong.
He expected that both sides would soon sign a protocol to complete market opening procedures for Vietnamese frozen durian and fresh coconut to enter the Chinese market.
The Vietnamese PM also proposed that the two sides accelerate the progress of market opening for other agricultural and aquatic products; create conditions for the early establishment of the Vietnam Trade Promotion Offices in Chengdu (Sichuan), Haikou (Hainan), and Nanjing (Jiangsu); and exchange measures to improve customs clearance efficiency, upgrade border gate infrastructure, and promote the construction of smart border gates.
He encouraged relevant agencies of the two countries to work closely towards completely resolving problems in a number of cooperation projects, and to speeding up the implementation of projects using China’s non-refundable aid in Vietnam.
Chinh underscored the need for the two sides to strengthen cooperation in the fields of agriculture, finance - banking, science - technology, education, culture, and tourism, with a primary focus on digital transformation, green growth, high-tech agriculture. He expected that Vietnam and China would soon develop plans and roadmaps for the official operation of the Ban Gioc – Detian waterfall landscape area.
He also suggested that China soon deploy 1,000 scholarships for Vietnamese teachers of Chinese language.
Li for his part welcomed Chinh’s proposals and said China would further open its market for Vietnamese goods, especially agricultural and aquatic products and high-quality fruits.
He assured his guest that China is willing to promote the resolution of institutional and policy problems so that the two countries’ trade relations would continue to grow sustainably and reap new gains.
Li suggested that the two sides strengthen strategic connections, especially in transport infrastructure; promote economic - trade and investment ties; cooperate in maintaining supply chains and production chains; and ramp up cooperation in vocational training, as well as finance-banking, so as to make bilateral cooperation increasingly effective and substantive, commensurate with their new partnership framework.
Exchanging views on maritime issues, the two PMs unanimously underlined the importance of adequately controlling disagreements and maintaining peace and stability in the East Sea, known internationally as South China Sea.
In this regard, Chinh proposed that the two sides strictly implement the high-level common perceptions and the agreement on basic principles guiding the settlement of maritime issues between Vietnam and China; respect international law, especially the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS); respect each other’s legitimate rights and interests; promote the effectiveness of negotiation mechanisms on maritime issues; and adequately handle the issue of fishing boats at sea.
The two sides agreed to maintain coordination and cooperation at regional and international forums.
Chinh voiced Vietnam’s consistent policy of persevering with the ‘One China’ policy, supporting China to promote its increasingly important and active role in the region and the world. He suggested that the two sides strengthen coordination and cooperation at regional and international forums, especially within the framework of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM), and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
