The ministers painted border marker No. 102, planted a friendship tree at the Lao Cai International Border Gate, and attended the inauguration ceremony for a Vietnam-China friendship cultural house in Ban Phiet commune, Bao Thang district.
They also visited and presented gifts to students at Kim Dong Primary School in Coc Leu ward, Lao Cai city, and visited the border guard post at the Lao Cai International Border Gate. The two sides then held talks and signed a memorandum of understanding.
In his remarks at the talks, Minister Giang stressed the significance of the border defence friendship exchange to promoting mutual political trust and understanding, and strengthening solidarity and close ties between people, authorities and defence ministries of the two countries, for a shared borderline of peace, friendship, stability, cooperation and development.
The Vietnamese Party, Government, army and people always treasure the valuable contributions and support of their Chinese counterparts in their past struggle for national liberation and reunification, as well as the present cause of national construction, Giang said.
The minister affirmed that China has always been one of the top priorities in Vietnam’s foreign policy, and stressed Vietnam’s consistent stance of attaching importance to building the solidarity, friendship, long-term stability, solid trust and comprehensive cooperation with the neighbouring country.
He said Vietnam has pursued a consistent foreign policy of independence, peace, friendship, cooperation and development and a defence policy of "four no's", adding that the maritime issue should be settled by peaceful measures through negotiations and compliance to the common perceptions reached by the two countries’ high-ranking leaders.
Giang used the occasion to invite Minister Dong, leaders of the Central Military Commission and the Ministry of National Defence of China and Chinese defence businesses to attend the celebration of the 80th anniversary of the Vietnam People’s Army and the second Vietnam International Defence Expo.
The two sides noted with pleasure the positive developments of the bilateral defence ties, especially the exchange of high-level delegations, the effective operation of the defence strategic dialogue mechanism, training cooperation, Party and political affairs, and border management and protection.
Bilateral cooperation in border management and protection between border forces, border military zones and border localities has produced practical outcomes, with the border line and border markers kept safe and political and social order in border areas secured.
They shared the view that the exchange programme has become an effective and unique model of cooperation, demonstrating the political resolution of both sides in strengthening solidarity and close ties between people, authorities, localities and defence ministries of the two countries.
To boost the defence-security ties in a more practical manner, the two sides will step up delegation exchanges, and maintain and make the best use of annual cooperation mechanisms, including the defence strategic dialogue, the border defence friendship exchange, and the joint patrol in the Gulf of Tonkin.
They will also enhance cooperation in training, Party and political affairs, defence industry, defence trade, strategic research, United Nations peacekeeping, logistics, and military medicine.
At the end of their talks, the two sides signed a memorandum of understanding of the two defence ministries on the establishment of a hotline between the Vietnam People’s Navy and the Southern Theater Command of the Chinese People's Liberation Army.
