Vietnam and China have agreed to increase high-level visits and contacts as well as people-to-people exchanges to further strengthen bilateral ties. Party Politburo member Le Hong Anh and Vice State President Nguyen Thi Doan met with visiting China’s Vice President Xi Jinping in Hanoi today (Wednesday). The Vietnamese leaders welcomed China’s decision to provide 300 million USD in preferential credit to Vietnam. Both sides agreed to promote cooperation in culture, healthcare, science and communications. Regarding the East Sea issue, the Vietnamese side said that Vietnam is ready to settle disputes with China through peaceful negotiations with respect for each other’s legitimate interest and on the basis of international law, particularly the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea and the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea.