Top Vietnamese, Chinese legislators hold talks, sign cooperation agreement

Talks were held between the two top Vietnamese and Chinese legislators following a welcome ceremony for NA Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue.

The two sides briefed each other on the situation of each Party, country and activities of each law-making body. They held in-depth discussions on specific measures to concretize the achievements and high-level common perceptions reached during Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong's visit to China in November 2022 and Party General Secretary and President of China Xi Jinping's visit to Vietnam in December 2023. They also discussed a host measures to further boost and deepen cooperation between the two legislatures in the  time ahead.

Zhao welcomed the first official visit to China by Chairman Hue in his new capacity.

The two parliamentary leaders noted their satisfaction with the positive progress in the bilateral relations between the two Parties and two nations in recent times, including the exchanges and cooperatio between the two legislatures.

NA Chairman Hue emphasized that the Vietnamese Party and State hail the development of stable, healthy, sustainable and long-term relations with China, considering it a strategic choice and top priority in Vietnam's foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, multilateralism and diversification of ties.

China always regards Vietnam as a priority in its neighbourly diplomacy policy, and consistently supports Vietnam in successfully carrying out its industrialisation, modernisation and strengthening its international role, Zhao said.

The two sides pledged to effectively implement the joint statement on further deepening and elevating the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership between the two countries, and building a Vietnam-China community with a shared future that carries strategic significance. They agreed to maintain exchanges and contacts at all levels, and boost cooperation via the Party, Government, parliament and front channels.

Hue suggested that China facilitate the early establishment of Vietnam's trade promotion offices in Chengdu (Sichuan), Haikou (Hainan), and Nanjing (Jiangsu), continue to expand imports of Vietnamese goods and agricultural products, fast-track negotiations and signing of a framework agreement on rice trade, effectively build smart border gates, improve customs clearance efficiency, and facilitate Vietnamese goods transit to third country via the Asia-Europe railway route.

He said he hopes that both sides would jointly build a new investment image of large, reputable and technologically advanced Chinese enterprises in Vietnam. He also underlined the need for closer cooperation in dealing with outstanding issues in certain cooperation projects, speeding up the progress of China’s non-refundable aid to Vietnam, and exploring collaboration on the construction of standard-gauge railway projects, including the Hanoi-Lao Cai, Hanoi-Quang Ninh, and Hanoi-Lang Son sections.

Zhao, for his part, glowingly spoke of and agreed with Hue’s recommendations to develop the ties between the two Parties and States, affirming that China stands ready to join hands with Vietnam to deepen practical cooperation, expand trade and investment collaboration, enhance strategic connectivity for development and carry out high-quality development.

Strategic connectivity will be enhanced through the "Belt and Road" and "Two Corridors, One Belt" initiatives, with a particular focus on developing infrastructure, roads, railways and smart border gates, he continued.
He stressed that both sides need to ramp up cooperation to ensure supply and production chains and branch out digital economy, green economy, new energy, key minerals and 5G technology.

China welcomes Vietnam’s opening of its representative agencies and trade promotion offices in its localities, he said, suggesting competent ministries and sectors of both sides work hand in hand to satisfactorily handle existing problems in cooperation projects with goodwill and constructive manner, he noted.

Furthermore, he proposed that both sides continue popularising the sound Vietnam – China friendship.
Regarding the cooperation between the two legislative bodies, the Vietnamese NA leader suggested they intensify delegation exchanges at all levels, share experience in parliamentary activities, perfect the Parties’ leadership method, build the socialist rule-of-law States, revise mechanisms and policies for socio-economic development, and strengthen the supervisory role of the legislative bodies in urging ministries, sectors and localities to carry out the signed documents and agreements.

He said that the roles of the Vietnamese NA deputies, members of the Chinese National People’s Congress as well as members of the Vietnam – China Friendship Parliamentarians’ Group should be furthered boosted in popularising the bilateral friendship, consolidating consensus in the people, and building a sound social foundation for the bilateral relations.

Sharing Hue’s views, Zhao showed his elation over the robust cooperation between the two legislative bodies, and agreed to set up a cooperation committee and shape up a cooperative mechanism at the highest level, aiming at demonstrating the cooperation level between the two legislatures.

He voiced his hope that both sides will capitalise on the mechanism to enhance experience exchange in legislation work, supervision and state management to better serve the building of socialism in each country, making contributions to the Vietnam – China Comprehensive Strategic Cooperative Partnership in the time to come.

The two leaders also compared notes on issues at sea in an open and frank manner, and consented to continue realising the common perceptions reached by the leaders of the two Parties and States as well as properly control disagreements to maintain peace and stability in the East Sea.

Hue suggested both sides actively promote negotiation mechanisms at sea, implement agreements on the search and rescue work and set up hotlines to handle incidents arising from fishing activities towards soon signing a new fishery cooperation agreement in the Gulf of Tonkin, and work with ASEAN countries to accelerate negotiations for a practical, efficient and effective Code of Conduct (COC) in the East Sea in accordance with international law, including the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

The two leaders were of the same mind about maintaining coordination and cooperation between agencies of the two legislative bodies at regional and international forums.

Immediately after the talks, Hue and Zhao signed a new cooperation agreement between the Vietnamese NA and the National People’s Congress of China. They also witnessed the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the two legislative bodies' offices.