Vietnam contributes to success of ASEAN - China special summit: official

Vietnam made active contributions to the recent ASEAN - China special summit to commemorate the 30th anniversary of bilateral dialogue relations, Deputy Foreign Minister and head of the ASEAN SOM Vietnam Nguyen Quoc Dung has affirmed.

Deputy Foreign Minister and head of the ASEAN SOM Vietnam Nguyen Quoc Dung
Deputy Foreign Minister and head of the ASEAN SOM Vietnam Nguyen Quoc Dung

According to the Deputy FM, from the very beginning, Vietnam backed China's proposal to hold a special summit to celebrate the 30th anniversary of ASEAN-China dialogue relations. Then, it actively participated in the preparation and negotiations to achieve the Joint Statement of the summit.

At the event, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh contributed his voice to reviewing important results that ASEAN-China relations have achieved during the past 30 years as well as raising expectations for the this relationship in the near future.

He affirmed that the comprehensive strategic partnership that ASEAN and China established recently is a demonstration of their cooperation achievements over the last 30 years, on the basis of political trust, friendly and comprehensive cooperation, and mutual respect and understanding.

He held that ASEAN and China should continue enhancing strategic trust, promoting comprehensive cooperation, and multiplying achievements towards higher goals and greater benefits for bilateral relations.

Deputy FM Dung said that during the summit, PM Chinh underlined the core factors of cooperation, which are jointly maintaining peace, stability, and cooperation for development in an environment still full of uncertainties; upholding attainments and further strengthening ties to effectively cope with emerging global challenges, thus contributing to the comprehensive, inclusive, prosperous, safe, and sustainable development of each party.

The Vietnamese PM suggested China create more favourable conditions for export items from ASEAN; ensure trade balance; increase connectivity by investing in high technology, innovation, infrastructure development, digital transformation, green growth, sustainable development, climate change prevention; and resume people-to-people exchange soon.

Basing on the friendly neighbourliness and traditional cooperation with China, the Vietnamese leader affirmed Vietnam will keep doing its utmost to help develop the ASEAN - China relations on a par with their comprehensive strategic partnership, and significantly contribute to regional and global peace, security, stability, cooperation, and sustainable development, thereby bringing about practical benefits to each country, ensuring prosperity and happiness for all people, and leaving no one behind.

According to Dung, the most important outcome of the summit is the establishment of the ASEAN - China comprehensive strategic partnership.

General Secretary of the Communist Party of China and President of the country Xi Jinping affirmed that his country will continue supporting ASEAN members with many specific measures to control the COVID-19 pandemic and promote recovery toward sustainable development while helping the bloc realise the Community Vision 2025.

Discussing the regional and international situation, participants agreed to jointly build the East Sea/South China Sea into a sea of peace, security, stability, and cooperation. They emphasised the importance of building trust, respecting international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and settling disputes by peaceful means.

They pledged to fully and effectively implement the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) and promote the building of an effective and substantive Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC) that is in line with international law and the 1982 UNCLOS, stated Dung.