PM Dung meets Chinese Vice President

PM Dung welcomed Xi’s visit to Vietnam, saying that it reflects the commitment of the Communist Party of China and Xi Jinping himself to strengthening and promoting the friendship and cooperation between the two countries.

The PM spoke highly of the outcomes of bilateral cooperation, describing them as an important foundation to lift the Vietnam-China comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership to a new level.

Vice President Xi, who is also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said his visit aims to implement the joint perception reached between the two countries’ leaders during Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong’s recent visit to China, to boost bilateral ties in various domains.

The Vietnam-China friendship is an invaluable treasure that needs to be preserved for the mutual benefit of both peoples, Xi said.

Both host and guest agreed that the two nations should continue to enhance political trust and mutual understanding, maintain visits and meetings of high-ranking leaders as well as of ministries, agencies and localities, and improve the role and efficiency of cooperative mechanisms, particularly the Vietnam-China Bilateral Cooperation Steering Committee.

PM Dung proposed both sides promptly approve items of the five-year development plan for bilateral economic cooperation, raise the efficiency of economic and trade cooperation and double two-way trade by 2015, at the same time reducing Vietnam’s import surplus with China.

The Chinese Vice President asked the two sides to boost cooperation in transport, energy, agriculture and fishing, balance two-way trade for the target of 60 billion USD by 2015, devise major cooperative projects within the framework of two economic corridors and one economic belt and support Chinese businesses to invest in this region.

Regarding land border issues, PM Dung requested the two sides to work closely to implement three signed documents and speed up the signing of agreements on tourism at Ban Gioc waterfall, free travel of ships in the Bac Luan river mouth, and management and use of river and stream water sources in the border areas.

On the sea issue, PM Dung reiterated Vietnam’s stance on the East Sea issue and proposed the two sides settle disputes at sea based on the common perception between the two countries’ leaders and the agreement on basic principles guiding the settlement of sea-related issues as well as international law, especially the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea and the spirit of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea.

The two sides agreed to establish a mechanism to discuss the implementation of the agreement on basic principles guiding the settlement of sea issues between Vietnam and China.

The Vietnamese PM proposed both sides assign their government negotiation teams to meet soon and discuss implementation of the agreement.