Building a Vietnam-China community of shared future with strategic significance to strengthen the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership.
| Vietnam and China release joint statement on December 13. File photo |
That's one of the main ideas highlighted in the joint statement released today [December 13] during the Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to Vietnam on September 12-13.
The two sides recognized the importance of adhering to the United Nations Charter and international law on the basis of mutual respect, equality, shared benefit, respect for each other's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and resolving disputes through peaceful means.
Looking to the future, China stressed its friendship with Vietnam and gave priority to Vietnam in foreign policy. Meanwhile, Vietnam reiterated that it gives top priority to Vietnam-China relations in its diplomacy of independence, self-reliance, multilateralization, and diversification.
To promote community building, the two sides pledged to attach importance to the Steering Committee for Vietnam-China Bilateral Cooperation, which focuses on six directions of cooperation, namely enhancing political trust, further cooperation in defense and security, more substantial partnership, more solid social foundation, better cooperation in multilateralization, and better management of conflicts.
In particular, the two sides emphasized the need to promote the exchange of high-level delegations and strengthen people-to-people ties. Vietnam reaffirmed its consistent stance on the "one China" policy.
In the area of defense and security, they strengthened border guards, joint patrols along the land border and in the Gulf of Tonkin, ship calls, and exchanges of naval and coast guard personnel. At the same time, they continue to strengthen cooperation in preventing violations of religious laws, managing foreign non-governmental organizations, and protecting the safety of agencies, enterprises, and citizens of each country in the other.
The two sides agreed to strengthen rail links and promote investment in infrastructure, clean energy, telecommunications and logistics.
On trade, they agree to promote the implementation of trade agreements such as the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), with expanded links through the China International Import Expo (CIIE), the China-ASEAN EXPO (CAEXPO), and the Canton Fair, while working to expedite customs clearance. Vietnam supports China's accession to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).
China supports the opening of the Consulate General of Vietnam in Chongqing and Hangzhou.
They welcome the lending of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) for investment projects.
The two sides stressed the importance of agro-fisheries cooperation and will soon sign a fisheries cooperation agreement in the Gulf of Tonkin.
They announced to focus on culture and tourism with the implementation of the Vietnam-China cooperation in culture and tourism for 2023-2027 while increasing the frequency of flights between the two countries.
They applaud decentralized cooperation, especially between border areas while strengthening regular exchanges of associations, including youth ones of both sides.
The two nations vow to follow the consensus reached by top leaders to guide negotiations on demarcation and solving issues at sea in accordance with international law, including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) 1982.
In 2024, the two countries will celebrate the 25th anniversary of the demarcation of land border and 15 years of signing three agreements on land border.
