Vietnam and China on June 21 issued a joint statement on the occasion of President Truong Tan Sang’s State-level visit to China from June 19-21 at the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping.
The joint statement says during the visit, President Sang held talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping and met with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang and Chairman of China’s National People’s Congress (NPC) Standing Committee Zhang Dejiang. In a frank and friendly atmosphere, the two countries’ leaders exchanged views in depth and reached broad common perceptions on deepening the Vietnam-China comprehensive strategic cooperation in the new situation as well as on regional and international issues of mutual concern.
The statement wrote that the two sides looked back on the development process of the Vietnam-China relationship and agreed that the Vietnam-China friendship is a valuable common asset of the two peoples. They affirmed to comply with the important common perceptions reached by the two countries’ leaders over the past years on developing the Vietnam-China friendship and comprehensive cooperation, incessantly reinforcing strategic trust and deepening mutually beneficial cooperation in various fields, settling existing issues in a satisfactory manner, strengthening coordination in regional and international issues, and fostering the healthy, stable and long-term development of the Vietnam-China relationship.
Vietnam and China are both in the key stage of their socio-economic development. The two sides consider each other’s development as its own development opportunity, and agreed to deepen their comprehensive strategic cooperation, focusing on maintaining high-ranking contacts through diverse and flexible forms such as bilateral visits, telephone calls via hotline and meetings on the sidelines of multilateral forums to increase strategic exchanges and have a thorough grasp of sound orientations for developing bilateral ties.
The two sides made positive assessments of the outcomes of the 6th meeting of the Vietnam-China Steering Committee for Bilateral Cooperation and agreed to continue making the best use of this important mechanism and boost the overall mutually beneficial cooperation in various fields, bringing more benefits to the two countries’ people. The two sides agreed to work together to well carry out the action programme to implement the Vietnam-China comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership signed during this visit, thus fostering result-oriented cooperation between the two nations.
The two sides expressed their pleasure at the development of the relations between the Communist Party of Vietnam and the Communist Party of China over the past years. They agreed to deepen cooperation between the two Parties, facilitate the smooth operation of exchange and cooperation mechanisms between the two Parties’ Commissions for External Relations, and Popularisation and Education, and strengthen cooperation in training Party and State officials. The two sides also agreed to closely coordinate with each other to well organise the 9 th Theory Conference between the two Parties and further increase the exchange of experience in Party building and State management, intensifying the building of the Party and State in each country.
The two sides made positive assessment about the outcomes of the 4th deputy defence minister-level strategic dialogue on defence and agreed to maintain high-level contacts between the two armies and bring into full play the role of the strategic defence dialogue and the telephone line directly connecting the two defence ministries in order to enhance mutual trust.
They agreed to well implement the border defence cooperation agreement (revised) between the two defence ministries of Vietnam and China , which was inked during this visit and continue conducting joint land border patrols.
They reached consensus on deepening land and sea border defence cooperation with two joint naval patrols to be carried out in the Tonkin Gulf this year.
The two sides agreed to enhance exchanges and coordination in regional multilateral security issues as well as exchanging and studying new forms and contents in implementing defence cooperation, thus deepening cooperation between the two armies.
The two sides agreed to deepen cooperation in law enforcement and security, promote result-oriented cooperation in such areas as preventing and fighting trans-border crimes, ensuring social order and security as well as building law enforcement capacity, early implementing joint law enforcement activities in different areas while maintaining security and stability in areas along the shared border line. They agreed to accelerate the implementation of cooperation between marine police agencies. They also reached consensus on the early start of negotiations on a “Vietnam-China Extradition Treaty” in the second half of this year.
The two sides reached consensus on enhancing strategic coordination in economic development and well carrying out the “five-year development plan for economic-trade cooperation between Vietnam and China for the 2012-2016 period” and the list of key cooperative projects, further fostering cooperation in the fields of agriculture, fisheries, transport, energy, minerals, manufacturing and supporting industries, and services and in the “two corridors and one economic belt” region. The two sides will actively take effective and drastic measures to push for bilateral trade balance on the basis of ensuring the stable growth of bilateral trade, and strive to fulfill the goal of 60 billion USD in bilateral trade revenue by 2015. The two sides will continue to accelerate the building of important economic and trade projects in the fields of energy, industrial parks and land transport connectivity with priority given to road and railway projects connecting the two countries’ land border areas such as the expressway linking Vietnam’s northern mountainous province of Lang Son and Hanoi.
Both agreed to further deepen cooperation in agriculture, culture and science and technology while strengthening linkages between provinces and border autonomous regions of the two countries.
The two sides concurred in seriously implementing the working plan in 2013 of the Vietnam-China Land Border Joint Committee. They made positive assessment of the two countries’ establishment of the Vietnam-China Joint Committee on Land Border Gate Management during President Sang’s visit, and agreed to step up the opening and upgrading of border gates between the two countries, intensify the building and management of infrastructure of border gates and improve conditions as well as efficiency of the flow of people, goods and means of transport through border gates to serve travelling and socio-economic development. They agreed to soon kick-start the construction of Vietnam-China Bac Luan 2 bridge. The two sides reached consensus on the organisation of a new round of negotiations on an agreement on regulations for free travel of ships at the mouth of the Bac Luan river and an agreement on tourism cooperation and development at Bac Gioc waterfall in the second half of this year, with a view to early making real progress. The two sides will increase exchanges and technical cooperation in the management of rivers and streams in the border areas, the control of natural disasters and floods, and the use and protection of water resources of cross-border rivers and streams.
The two sides will continue to well implement the “Agreement on Fishery Cooperation in the Tonkin Gulf” and actively conduct research on new joint checking methods in the common fishery zone in the Tonkin Gulf. They highly valued the agreement between the Vietnamese Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the Chinese Ministry of Agriculture on setting up a hotline to deal with unexpected incidents in fishing activities at sea which was signed during this visit, and agreed to settle unexpected incidents in fishing activities at sea between the two countries in a satisfactory manner in line with the two countries’ relationship.
The two sides exchanged their views on sea-related issues in a sincere and straightforward manner and reached consensus that the two Parties and States should maintain regular exchanges and dialogues on Vietnam-China sea-related issues, instruct and advance the satisfactory settlement of sea-related issues from the strategic height and the general situation of the two countries’ relationship. The two sides will seriously carry out the agreement on basic principles guiding the settlement of sea-related issues between Vietnam and China, make good use of such mechanisms as border and territory negotiations at the governmental level, persistently seek fundamental and long-term solutions acceptable to both sides through consultations and friendly negotiations, and actively study transitional solutions that do not affect each side’s stand and guidelines, including research and discussions on cooperation for mutual development.
The two sides agreed to intensify negotiations of the Working Group on the sea off the Tonkin Gulf based on the principles of easy things first and step-by-step, thus firmly advancing negotiations on delimitation of the sea area off the Tonkin Gulf, and actively promote cooperation for development in these waters. This year, a joint survey in the waters off the Tonkin Gulf will be launched, and the locations and fields of cooperation will be specified soon for implementing negotiation tasks of the Working Group on the area off the Tonkin Gulf.
The two sides welcomed the amendments to an agreement on joint survey in the defined area in the Tonkin Gulf signed between the two nations’ relevant businesses, which expands the defined area and extend the term of the agreement as well as promoting joint exploration for oil and gas composition across the delimitation line in the Tonkin Gulf for positive progress.
The two sides agreed to increase negotiations of the Working Group on Vietnam – China cooperation in less sensitive issues at sea, implement one or two projects among the agreed three this year, which are a project on coordinating search and rescue activities at sea, another on research and management of marine and island environment in the Tonkin Gulf and the third on comparative research on sediments dating back to Holocene epoch in the Red River Delta and the Yangtze River Delta. They are set to continue boosting cooperation in marine environment protection, marine scientific studies, search and rescue at sea, natural disaster control and transport connectivity at sea.
Before sea-related issues are settled thoroughly, the two sides agreed to stay calm and restrain themselves so as not to complicate and expand disputes, at the same time make good use of the hotline for managing and controlling crisis at sea between the two Foreign Ministries, properly settling emerging issues with a constructive attitude, not letting the issue affect the overall situation of the Vietnam-China relations as well as peace and stability in the East Sea. They reached consensus on the comprehensive and effective implementation of the Declaration on Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) to together maintain peace and stability in the East Sea .
The Vietnamese side affirmed that it will persistently pursue the One China policy, back the peaceful development of the Cross-Strait relations and the great cause of re-unification of China , resolutely protest any separatist acts in any form. Vietnam will not develop any official tie with Taiwan . The Chinese side welcomed Vietnam ’s stance.
The two sides agreed to enhance coordination and collaboration at multilateral forums like the United Nations, World Trade Organisation, Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum, Asia-Europe Meeting, ASEAN Regional Forum, ASEAN plus China Summit, ASEAN plus China-Japan-Republic of Korea Summit and East Asia Summit, to together maintain peace, stability and prosperity in the world.
The two sides were unanimous in making this year, the year marking the 10 th anniversary of the ASEAN- China strategic partnership, as a chance to implement comprehensively the common perception reached by ASEAN and Chinese leaders, hold activities in celebration of the anniversary, keep expanding and deepening the ASEAN-China cooperation in the fields of economy-trade, transport connectivity, oceanography and social sciences and humanities, further contributing to peace, stability and prosperity in the region.
The two sides expressed their satisfaction with the outcomes of President Sang’s visit to China . They shared the view that the visit has an important significance in promoting the development of the two nations’ relations.