Vietnam, China sign 36 agreement documents for cooperation

Chinese Party General Secretary Xi Jinping (L, first line) and his Vietnamese counterpart Nguyen Phu Trong (2nd, L, first line) witness the agreement documents for cooperation at the Headquarters of the Party Central Committee in Hanoi, Dec. 12, 2023. Photo by VnExpress/Ngoc Thanh

Vietnamese Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping witnessed Tuesday the signing of 36 agreements for cooperation in many fields including security and railway development.

In a dialogue at the Headquarters of the Party Central Committee in Hanoi, Trong warmly welcomed Xi and his spouse Peng Liyuan during their state visit to Vietnam from Tuesday to Wednesday, the Vietnam News Agency reported.

Following the high-level dialogue, Trong and Xi listened to the introduction of 36 agreement documents for cooperation on various fields, which have been signed between the two countries’ ministries and localities.

Among the documents, four had to do with politics and foreign affairs, and they were signed between the two countries’ Party and foreign affair ministry entities. Four others had to do with security and defense, crime prevention, maritime cooperation and judiciary. 24 documents had to do with cooperation on fields at government and ministry levels. Four other documents had to do with cooperation between the two countries’ localities.

The two countries’ defense ministries have signed a memorandum of joint patrol on the seas of the Gulf of Tonkin, while their public security ministries signed an agreement on crime prevention and an agreement on transferring people with prison sentences.

The two countries also signed an agreement on building a bridge over the Red River at the Bat Xat, Lao Cai, Vietnam-Basa, Yunnan, China border area. The Ministry of Transport signed a memorandum with China’s National Development and Reform Commission on increased railway cooperation, as well as a memorandum with China’s General Department of International Development Cooperation on bolstering aid cooperation for developing trans-border railways.

Both sides also signed an agreement to establish an information hotline on spontaneous issues regarding fishery at sea.

Trong stressed that Xi’s third visit to Vietnam as China’s Party General Secretary and president happened as Vietnam and China commemorate their 15th anniversary of establishing their Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, showing Xi’s special affection for the two countries’ friendly tradition, as well as the scale and good prospects of their bilateral relations.

Trong believed the visit would be a new hallmark that brings the relations between the two Parties and the two countries to new heights, satisfying the wishes and common interests of people from both countries, for the sake of peace, cooperation and development of the region and the world.

He congratulated China, under Xi’s leadership, having had several major achievements following the 20th National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party. Trong believed that China’s Party, state and the people would achieve the goals set forth by the 20th National Congress.

Trong said Vietnam has strived and achieved important and comprehensive results on several fields, as well as sharing Vietnam’s goals and directions to become a developed country with high income that follows socialism by mid-century, along with other specific developmental goals for 2025, 2030 and 2045 as set forth at the 13th Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam.

The Vietnamese leader affirmed that the consistent foreign policy of the Party and the state is independence, autonomy, peace, friendliness, cooperation and development. Vietnam is a friend, trusted partner and responsible member in the international community, he added.

He affirmed that Vietnam regards developing its relations with China as a foremost priority and a strategic choice, supporting China’s development and its contribution to humanity’s peace and progress.

Xi meanwhile commended and highly valued Vietnam’s achievements over nearly 40 years of the Doi Moi (reformation) era. He believed that under the leadership of the Communist Party of Vietnam, helmed by Party chief Trong, the Party, the state and the Vietnamese people will achieve the goals and missions set forth at the 13th Congress.

He affirmed that China’s Party, government and people highly regard relations with Vietnam, and consider Vietnam as a priority when it comes to neighbor diplomacy policies. He affirmed that China supports a Vietnam with prosperous development and happy people.

Both Trong and Xi agreed that 15 years after Vietnam and China established their Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2008, cooperation on multiple fields have had positive and comprehensive progress, while the relationship between the two Parties and the two countries has continually expanded and deepened.

Both sides agreed to bolster political trust, increasing exchanges between high-ranking leaders of both Parties and governments through various forms.

They also agreed to bolster security and defense cooperation, making it one of the pillars of bilateral relations, boosting economic, trade and investment cooperation on sustainable level.

On maritime issues, the two leaders stressed that there needs to be better management and positive resolution of conflicts at sea, maintaining peace and stability in the East Sea, and the region.

Trong requested both sides to respect each other’s legal and legitimate interests, not complicating the situation and resolving conflicts through peaceful methods, in accordance with international law, including UNCLOS, the DOC and the COC.

China is Vietnam’s largest trade partner for several consecutive years, while Vietnam is China’s largest partner in ASEAN. Bilateral trade between the two countries reached US$175.6 billion last year, with Vietnam’s exports reaching $57.7 billion and imports reaching $117.87 billion, according to Vietnam Customs.

Cumulatively, until Oct. 20, China ranked sixth among 143 countries and territories with FDI in Vietnam, with 4,105 active projects and a total registered capital at over $26.5 billion.

(Source: https://e.vnexpress.net/)