(VOVworld) - Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh held talks with China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Tuesday on the sidelines of the 48^th ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The two discussed ways to promote visits by their senior leaders and agreed to strengthen ties between the two Foreign Ministries, promote the role of the Vietnam - China Steering Committee on Bilateral Cooperation, and enhance cooperation in economics, trade, investment, and infrastructure building. They also had frank talks about the East Sea. Deputy Prime Minister Pham Binh Minh said Vietnam and other ASEAN countries are deeply concerned about China’s expansion and construction of artificial islands in the East Sea. He said these activities change the status quo in the East Sea and directly affect the region’s peace and stability. Minh said ASEAN countries consider China an important partner and want to further boost ASEAN-China ties, adding that wise handling of the East Sea conflict would help to boost those ties. Wang Yi said China is ready to promote exchanges between the two Parties and governments, deepen mutual political trust, resolve all differences, and boost the ASEAN-China cooperation mechanism for addressing disputes in the East Sea, including maritime risk management.