Deputy PM holds talks with Chinese Foreign Minister

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh held talks with State Councillor and Foreign Minister of China Wang Yi in Hanoi on April 1 on the occasion of Wang Yi’s official visit to Vietnam and attendance at the 6th Greater Mekong Sub-region Summit (GMS-6) in Hanoi from March 29-31.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh (R) and State Councillor and Foreign Minister of China Wang Yi (Photo: VNA)
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh (R) and State Councillor and Foreign Minister of China Wang Yi (Photo: VNA)

The Vietnamese Deputy PM congratulated China on the successful organisation of the first annual sessions of the 13th National People’s Congress (NPC) and the 13th National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) to elect new leaders for the new tenure.

The Vietnamese State and Government attach great importance to the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership with China and want to further develop the alliance moving forward, Deputy PM Minh said.

The two sides agreed to promote visits among leaders and step-up cooperation between ministries and departments in addition to expanding people-to-people and locality-to-locality exchanges. They pledged to push forward the implementation of cooperation agreements reached by their leaders, while actively supporting the settlement of existing and emerging problems, thus maintaining the stable development of bilateral relations.

Deputy PM Minh suggested measures to promote the important role of the steering committee for Vietnam-China bilateral cooperation in coordinating collaborative activities between the two countries’ ministries, departments and localities. He said the two foreign ministries should enhance coordination to beef up Vietnam-China cooperation.

The deputy PM asked China to make it easier for Vietnam to export its goods to the Chinese market, and develop bilateral trade in a balanced and healthy manner, as well as help with the effective implementation of China’s aid packages for Vietnam.

He urged strengthening win-win cooperation in the fields of agriculture, environment, climate change response, science - technology, finance, transport, and economy, thus enhancing mutual economic trust between the two sides.

Vietnam and China should step up efforts to reach new success in the government-level negotiations on territory and borders including talks of the three working groups on the sea area off the Gulf of Tonkin, he said.

He proposed the two sides cooperate in less sensitive fields at sea, and discuss partnership for mutual development at sea, while implementing fully and effectively the Declaration on the Conducts of Parties in the East Sea (DOC), actively working with ASEAN member countries to build a Code of Conduct (COC) in the East Sea, effectively controlling maritime disputes without taking any actions to complicate the situation, thus maintaining peace and stability in the East Sea.

FM Wang Yi congratulated Vietnam on successfully organising the GMS-6 Summit, which makes significant contributions to promoting cooperation between GMS countries and increasing the position of Vietnam in the international arena.

He affirmed that the Chinese Party and Government pay great attention to reinforcing and developing the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership with Vietnam.

China is willing to work with Vietnam to increase strategic exchanges and political trust as well as deepening cooperation for mutual benefits and addressing disputes in a proper manner for the healthy and stable development of the bilateral relations, bringing practical benefits for both countries and their people, thus contributing to regional peace, stability and prosperity.