Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister Vuong Dinh Hue and Chinese Vice Premier Han Zheng agreed on the need to enhance political trust between the two countries during talks in Nanning city, the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region of China, on September 11.

Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister Vuong Dinh Hue (L) and Chinese Vice Premier Han Zheng meets in Nanning on September 11. (Photo: VNA)

The talks were held on the occasion of Hue’s attendance at the 15^th China-ASEAN Business and Investment Summit (CABIS) and the 15^th China-ASEAN Expo (CAEXPO).

Deputy PM Hue spoke highly of the organisation of the 15^th CABIS and CAEXPO in coincidence with the 15^th anniversary of the ASEAN-China strategic partnership.

He noted with satisfaction that relations between Vietnam and China have continued the positive development trend and made new strides with important common perceptions reached during visits and meetings between their leaders.

China remains the biggest trade and tourism partner of Vietnam, and Vietnam also ranks first and eighth among ASEAN and global trade partners of China, respectively. While cooperation in agriculture, science-technology, culture, sports, tourism, education and health care has enjoyed good progress, people-to-people exchange has continued to be reinforced.

Hue proposed that the two sides further enhance political trust, maintain high-ranking visits and meetings, better implement important cooperation mechanisms between the two Parties and the two countries, and step up locality-to-locality collaboration and people-to-people exchange.

He also asked China to continue taking effective policies and measures to better remedy Vietnam’s deficit in bilateral trade; create favourable conditions for Vietnamese goods, especially agricultural products, to enter the Chinese market; coordinate with Vietnam to thoroughly settle hindrances to some Chinese-invested projects in Vietnam; and continue to facilitate the movement of people, goods and vehicles in border areas.

With regard to sea-related issues, the Deputy PM called on both sides to seriously comply with the common perceptions reached by the two countries’ leaders, especially the agreement on basic principles guiding the settlement of sea-related issues, control sea-related disagreements well, persist in resolving disputes by peaceful means in line with international law and the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, maintain peace and stability in the East Sea and the region, fully and effectively carry out the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea, and join ASEAN countries in promoting substantive negotiations to build an efficient and effective Code of Conduct in the East Sea.

For his part, Vice Premier Han Zheng welcomed the Vietnamese Government delegation’s participation in the 15^th CABIS and CAEXPO, which he said shows that the Vietnamese Government attaches importance to China-Vietnam relations as well as China-ASEAN cooperation.

He stressed that the Chinese Party and Government treasure the ties with Vietnam and will join Vietnam to maintain high-ranking visits and meetings, increase political trust, and bolster result-oriented cooperation, particularly in economy, trade and investment.

China will also work with Vietnam to expand people-to-people exchange, consolidate the traditional friendship, control differences well, and develop the countries’ comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership in a stable, healthy and sustainable fashion, he added.

Also on September 11, Deputy PM Hue received the Secretary of the Communist Party of China Committee of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Lu Xinshe.

Hue expressed his delight at the vibrant cooperation between Vietnamese localities and Guangxi, which has generated many significant outcomes and practical benefits for both sides. He noted that Guangxi has continually taken the lead in economic and trade connections with Vietnam while Vietnam has been the biggest trade partner of Guangxi for 14 straight years. In 2017, trade between Vietnamese localities and Guangxi hit USD 24 billion, accounting for 86 per cent of ASEAN’s total trade with this Chinese region.

The Deputy PM asked Guangxi to create more favourable conditions for strong commodities of Vietnam like milk and dairy products, fruits, seafood, pigs and pork to be imported to China. He also sought the region’s help for Vietnamese goods to be transported by railway through Guangxi and other Chinese localities to enter Asian and European nations.

The Vietnamese official also urged the Chinese side to provide the best possible conditions for customs clearance of goods in border areas, well implement the three documents on land border management between Vietnam and China, and cooperate closely with Vietnam to fight cross-border crimes, including smuggling, child trafficking, and illegal exit and entrance.

Secretary Lu affirmed that Guangxi respects the traditional friendship and win-win cooperation with ministries, sectors and localities of Vietnam.

It wants to join Vietnamese localities to realise the common perceptions reached by the countries’ leaders, increase mutual visits by their leaders, step up discussions about infrastructure connectivity and transport projects, and foster cooperation in economy, trade, people-to-people exchange and tourism in a substantive manner, thus contributing to the China-Vietnam comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership, the official said.

The same day, Quang Nam province of Vietnam and the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region of China signed an agreement setting up bilateral friendship./.

VNF/VNA