Vietnam and China vow to handle disagreements, maintain peace at sea

The agreement was reached during a meeting in Beijing on June 26 between Chinese Party General Secretary and President Xi Jinping and Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, who is in China for a working visit.

Chinh proposed that the two sides seriously implement high-level common perceptions, respect each other’s legitimate interests in accordance with international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and not let disagreements at sea affect their friendship.

He affirmed that developing a stable, sustainable, and long-term relationship with China is a consistent policy, objective requirement, strategic choice, and top priority in Vietnam’s foreign policy.

Vietnam supports China’s development to successfully complete its second centenary goal and successfully build socialism with Chinese characteristics, Chinh told his host.

Xi for his part affirmed that China highly values ​​and always considers relations with Vietnam as a priority in its overall neighbourhood diplomacy.

He voiced China’s support for Vietnam to protect national independence and national dignity, successfully implement the Resolution of the 13th National Party Congress, successfully organize the coming 14th National Party Congress, and successfully build socialism appropriate to the country’s situation under the leadership of the Communist Party of Vietnam.

The two leaders noted with satisfaction the positive development of Vietnam – China relations and agreed to concritise 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.

Xi emphasized that the two sides need to strengthen political trust, maintain regular high-level exchanges, promote the cooperation mechanisms, better control and resolve disagreements, and coordinate well at multilateral forums, contributing to regional and world development.

Meanwhile, Chinh suggested that the two sides accelerate transport infrastructure connection, especially cooperation in connecting railways, roads, and border gates within the framework of the “Two Corridors, One Belt” and “Belt and Road” initiatives.

Underscoring the importance of trade exchanges, he asked China to create favourable conditions for Vietnam’s key products such as frozen durian, fresh coconut, rice and others to enter its market and go to Central Asia and Europe through its territory.

Chinh also proposed that the two sides promote local cooperation as a new growth engine, consider building pilot cross-border economic cooperation zones, expand border economic cooperation, and build smart border gates, alongside expanding cooperation in finance, banking, education, health among others.

Welcoming Chinh’s proposals, Xi said China supports Vietnam to accelerate national industrialization and modernization, and hopes it will work closely with China and other countries to build a stable and sustainable supply chain and production chain in the region and the wider world.

Xi suggested that the two sides further strengthen cooperation in trade, investment, and tourism by bringing into full play their complementarities and close geographical advantages, and piloting the implementation of cross-border economic zones. He assured his guest that China is ready to expand imports of high quality goods from Vietnam.

The Chinese government supports businesses to increase investment in Vietnam, especially in high-tech and emerging industries, Xi told his guest.