President Nguyen Xuan Phuc holds phone talks with Chinese Party General Secretary and State President Xi Jinping, May 24, 2021. (Photo: VNA)

President Phuc congratulated the Communist Party of China on its upcoming 100th founding anniversary.

Lauding the major achievements China has recorded in containing COVID-19, restoring growth and shaking off poverty despite difficulties due to the pandemic since early 2020, he expressed his belief that the country will reap greater fruits in the next 100 years.

Vietnam has also gained successes in pandemic containment and economic recovery, President Phuc said, highlighting the organisation of the National Assembly and People’s Council elections for the 2021-2026 tenure.

Despite difficulties and challenges, Vietnamese people will carry forward their solidarity and internal strength to move forward, Mr. Phuc noted. In this process, Vietnam wishes to receive cooperation from countries worldwide, including China, he said.

He reiterated Vietnam’s consistent foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, multilateralisation and diversification, and attaching importance to developing the friendly neighbourliness and comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership with China.

In that spirit, he proposed several measures to boost the bilateral relations in the time ahead such as promoting mutual trust, and comprehensive, equal and mutually beneficial cooperation.

Vietnam and China should enhance collaboration in the COVID-19 fight, raise the quality and efficiency of economic, trade and investment cooperation, step up partnerships between localities and people to people exchanges, while working to maintain an environment of peace and stability, satisfactorily settle sea-related issues on the basis of common perceptions at the high level, in line with international law, the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and maintain their coordination at multilateral forums.

President Phuc invited Mr. Xi and other Chinese leaders to visit Vietnam.  

For his part, Mr. Xi said he believes that under the leadership of the Communist Party of Vietnam, the Vietnamese people will fulfill targets and tasks set at the 13th National Party Congress.

The Chinese Party, State and people attach great importance to relations with Vietnam and stand ready to join hands with their Vietnamese counterparts to foster bilateral friendship and cooperation, thus advancing the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership, he said.

The Chinese leader emphasised the significance of high-level meetings and exchanges, and invited Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and President Phuc to visit China.

He also suggested ministries, agencies and localities of the two countries work harder in order to facilitate bilateral cooperation.

China backs Vietnam at multilateral cooperation mechanisms, and is willing to cooperate with and support Vietnam in the COVID-19 fight, he noted.