Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and Chinese Ambassador Hong Xiaoyong
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At the meeting, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc said that Vietnam and China enjoy a long-standing friendly neighborliness, which provides an important foundation for the two sides to deepen cooperation and maintain exchanges to seek effective measures to properly settle disagreements and create favorable conditions for their respective socio-economic development.
PM noted that Vietnam has consistently given the greatest import to its relations with China. Vietnam always pays attention to strengthening the friendly neighboring relations and comprehensive cooperation with China, considering this one of the top and consistent priorities in its foreign policy.
PM stressed that his country considered the reinforcement of friendship and comprehensive cooperation with the Chinese Party, State and people as one of its top priorities in foreign policy. The two nations’ neighbourliness and time-honoured amity provide an important foundation for strengthening partnership, seeking effective measures to properly settle disagreements, and creating favourable conditions for their respective socio-economic development, he said.
He suggested both sides strengthen political trust, enhance traditional friendly relations; maintain the visits and meetings of high-level delegations; and foster comprehensive cooperation in the fields of trade, investments and strength areas.
The two countries should bolster the bilateral youth exchange to boost mutual understanding and deploy more cooperative activities between their ministries and localities to effectively implement the agreements reached at the 9th meeting of the steering committee for bilateral cooperation.
The PM hailed the progress made in the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership between Vietnam and China, highlighting the positive outcomes of his meeting with his Chinese counterpart Li Keqiang in Mongolia in July.
Meanwhile, Vietnam and China also need to thoroughly deal with existing problems pertaining to economics, trade and investment to ensure balanced and sustainable ties, the leader added. He highly regarded the ambassador’s opinion on the necessity to control sea-related disagreements, along with information about the East Sea issue.
In the face of recent complex developments at sea, both sides need to seriously comply with the common perceptions shared by their senior Party and State leaders, and the bilateral agreement on basic principles guiding the settlement of sea-related issues.
They should persistently resolve disputes by peaceful measures in accordance with international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, while managing disputes and avoiding actions that can complicate or expand disputes in the East Sea. The countries, together with ASEAN nations, also need to fully and effectively enforce the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea, work to soon finalise a code of conduct, and maintain peace and stability in the waters, the PM emphasised.
For his turn, Ambassador Hong Xiaoyong congratulated PM Phuc on his continuous election as the PM of Vietnam for the new tenure. The Ambassador said Chinese leaders believe that during his term, PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc will greatly and practically contribute to the neighbourliness, amity and multi-faceted cooperation between Vietnam and China for the sake of the two peoples, affirming that the Chinese Party and State always wish to accelerate the Viet Nam-China relations in all fields.
As the countries’ relations are thriving, they should increase mutual political trust between their senior leaders while fostering collaboration in other domains, including trade, investment and people-to-people exchanges, so as to make more substantive progress in their relationship, the diplomat said.
He also asked both sides to soon sign agreements and memoranda of understanding on trade and economic partnerships, and work to address outstanding problems in trade and investment such as the Cat Linh-Ha Dong urban railway project in Hanoi.
Regarding the East Sea issue, he expressed hope that the countries need to control sea-related disagreements and information, and not let such matters affect the overarching relationship.
PM Phuc appreciated the ambassador’s opinion on the necessity to control disagreements at sea, highlighting the need for both sides to seriously comply with the common views shared by their senior leaders and the bilateral agreement on the basic principles guiding the settlement of sea-related issues.
He suggested the two countries persistently resolve disputes by peaceful means in accordance with international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS); control disagreements and avoid the actions that further complicate and expand the disputes in the East Sea; join ASEAN nations to fully and effectively enforce the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) and soon finalize a Code of Conduct (COC); and maintain peace and stability in the East Sea.
He expressed his hope that the two countries will strengthen political trust between their senior leaders and facilitate collaboration in other domains, including trade, investment and people-to-people exchange, contributing to making more practical development steps in their relationship.
