Vietnam, China vow to deepen partnership

He made the remarks at his talks with General Secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and President of China Xi Jinping in Hanoi on November 5. He said the Chinese leader's State visit is of great significance as the two countries are celebrating the 65 th founding anniversary of their diplomatic ties and the relations between the two Parties and countries are growing. The visit demonstrates that the Chinese Party, Government and the Party and State leader have placed importance to cementing and promoting the friendship and connections with Vietnam, he added. Meanwhile, Party General Secretary and President Xi Jinping wished the CPV would successfully organise the 12th National Party Congress in early 2016 and expressed his belief that under the CPV's leadership, Vietnamese people will achieve the set targets in socialism-building and "doi moi" (Renewal) for a strong, democratic, equal and civilised country with wealthy people. At the talks, the two sides underscored the importance of incessantly consolidating the traditional friendship between the two Parties and countries, agreeing that the solidarity and amity built and nurtured by late Presidents Ho Chi Minh and Mao Zedong and other ex-leaders are the precious shared asset of the two Parties, States and peoples and need to be preserved and promoted. Both shared the need to firmly follow the orientations for the Vietnam-China friendship, maintain high-level exchanges, reinforce political trust, increase cooperation across the Party, National Assembly, Fatherland Front, ministries, sector and locality channels, boost trade and investment in an efficient, fair and healthy manner, broaden scientific, technological, educational, cultural and tourist cooperation, coordinate to implement land borderline management documents effectively, and work together to well manage and satisfactorily address sea disputes without any effects on the stable and wealthy development of the bilateral relations. For his part, General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong proposed orientations to deepen the bilateral ties, including maintaining visits and meetings between high-ranking officials with a view to strengthening political trust and discussing measures to elevate cooperation and solve both existing and emerging problems. He suggested implementing agreed exchange and cooperation programmes and mechanisms; and fostering collaboration between Vietnamese and Chinese parliamentary and Fatherland Front agencies. Vietnam and China should bring into play the role of the steering committee for bilateral cooperation in coordinating and expanding scopes of cooperation; enhance affiliation in critical areas like diplomacy, defence and security; step up people-to-people exchanges, especially between their youth and intellectuals; and increase communications on the time-tested friendship between the nations, he noted. He asked for Vietnam and China to strengthen multifaceted cooperation in a substantive, balanced and effective fashion. Their leaders need to steer their respective countries' sectors at all levels to seriously carry out reached agreements and common perceptions while actively employing measures to expand fields of mutually beneficiary cooperation. The Vietnamese leader urged both sides to take practical measures promoting the stable, balanced and sustainable development of bilateral trade while bringing into play the role of the working groups on infrastructure and monetary cooperation in boosting cooperation in related fields to achieve practical outcomes. They should encourage cooperation projects within the "two corridors, one belt" framework with content in line with the "one belt, one road" initiative on the basis of respecting each other's legitimate interests, equality and mutual benefits, he added. He welcomed the Chinese Government's transferring of a 300 million USD concessional loan to the construction of the Mong Cai-Van Don highway project and its provision of another 250 million USD preferential loans to the Cat Linh-Ha Dong urban railway project in Vietnam. The Party chief also appreciated China's decision to provide a 1 billion Yuan aid for Vietnam in the next five years for the building of social welfare facilities like schools and hospitals. The two sides need to continue facilitating efforts by their localities, especially border ones, in realising the countries' three documents on land border and bolstering effective and substantive exchanges and cooperation. Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong also called on the two countries to well manage their differences and maintain peace and stability in the East Sea, not letting the issue affect the bilateral ties. He suggested the two sides work closely to control the situation at sea, respect each other's legitimate benefits, seriously realise common perceptions and agreements reached by their high-ranking Party leaders, maintain the status quo, and avoid actions that complicate the situation and enlarge the dispute. The host proposed China together Vietnam become the pioneers in implementing the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) seriously and fully and soon coming up with the Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC). He called on the two sides not to pursue militarisation in the East Sea and build and strengthen strategic trust for the favourable implementation of agreed cooperation projects at sea. The Vietnamese Party chief urged the two countries to implement negotiation mechanisms designed for maritime-related issues in an effective and pragmatic manner while actively seeking fundamental and long-term measures for the matters acceptable to both. Vietnam has showed a constructive attitude towards cooperation for mutual development at disputed waters in line with international law, especially the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (1982 UNCLOS), he said. On this occasion, he invited General Secretary and President Xi Jinping to attend the APEC Summit, scheduled to be held in Vietnam in 2017, and welcomed other Chinese leaders' visits to Vietnam in the near future. For his part, Party General Secretary and President Xi Jinping described friendship and cooperation as the mainstream of the ties between Vietnam and China after saying the two shared common interests. The Party and Government of China treasured the consolidation and development of the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership with Vietnam under the motto "friendly neighbours, comprehensive cooperation, long-term stability and future vision" and in the spirit of " good neighbours , good friends , good comrades and good partners". The two sides should thoroughly grasp the sound development orientations of the Vietnam-China relationship, he said. The Chinese leader urged the two sides to increase political trust and step up dialogues and collaboration in foreign affairs, national defence and security and humanistic exchange. He also called for concerted efforts to boost win-win cooperation, mutual respect and friendly negotiations, put aside minor differences to seek common ground, and control disputes, thus bringing practical benefits to the two countries' peoples and contributing to peace, development and prosperity in the region. The Chinese leader expressed his approval for major orientations and measures to promote the relations between the two Parties and States as proposed by Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong. He said the two countries should actively study and connect development strategies and production capacity to contribute to fulfilling each side's development goals and boosting regional cooperation and connectivity. China does not seek a trade surplus from Vietnam and stands ready to propel bilateral trade balance with the neighbour in an equal and sustainable manner, he promised. China will encourage its businesses to forge trade cooperation and expand investments in Vietnam while coordinating with the country to well manage disputes at sea and preserve the bilateral relationship as well as peace and stability in the East Sea, the guest noted. The Chinese leader suggested the two sides tighten their coordination at multilateral mechanisms such as the UN, the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), the Asia -Europe Meeting and China - the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). China and the ASEAN member countries will spare no effort to accelerate negotiations to build the COC, contributing to maintaining peace, prosperity and development in the region and the world at large. China backs the formation of the ASEAN Community as well as Vietnam's bid to host the APEC 2017, he affirmed. General Secretary and President Xi accepted General Secretary Trong's invitation to attend the APEC 2017. Following the talks, the two leaders witnessed the signing of a number of documents, including the plan on cooperation in training officials between the two Parties for 2016-2020, an agreement on free travel of ships at the mouth of the Bac Luan River and another on cooperation in protecting and exploiting tourism resources of the Ban Gioc Waterfall between the two Governments. Later on the day, Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and his spouse hosted a banquet in honour of Party General Secretary and President Xi Jinping, his spouse and entourage.

(Source: VNA)