NA Chairman’s China visit places emphasis on ties

Hanoi (VNA) – Vietnam’s National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Sinh Hung will pay an official visit to China from December 23-27, aiming at promoting ties between the two countries.

The visit, made at the invitation of Zhang Dejiang, Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress of China, has an important significance to the Vietnam – China bilateral ties and Vietnam’s external relations in general. This is is the first trip to China by a Vietnamese top legislator since 2007, and also the first made by Nguyen Sinh Hung in capacity of Chairman of the 13th National Assembly.

In the context of the growing relationship between the two countries, the visit contributes to implementing common perceptions reached by the two countries’ senior leaders on maintaining regular high-ranking visits and contacts.

It is also the occasion for the two countries to promote exchanges and cooperation between the two legislative agencies and compare notes on matters in Vietnam – China relations.

Through the visit, Vietnam affirms to persistently pursue a foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, multilateralisation and diversification, and treasure and develop a good and substantial relationship with China on the principle of mutual respect and win-win benefit.

The visit aims to protect Vietnam’s legitimate interests in the East Sea based on international law and control divergences and together maintain peace and stability in the East Sea for peace, stability, cooperation and development in the region and in the world.

Vietnam – China relationship has developed strongly in all fields since the two countries normalised its ties in 1991. The two countries agreed to build comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership on the principle of the 16-word motto and the four-good spirit.

High-ranking visits and contacts have been maintained and cooperation between ministries and localities have been tightened. Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong visited China in April this year while China’s Party General Secretary and President Xi Jinping made his first trip to Vietnam in November.

In 2015, the two countries organised many activities to mark the 65th anniversary of their diplomatic ties.

The trade and economic cooperation has developed quickly and the two-way trade reached 58 billion USD in 2014 and 54.8 billion USD in the first 10 months of 2015.

Chinese investors have poured 8.4 billion USD into 1,212 projects in Vietnam, ranking ninth among 105 countries and territories that invest in Vietnam.

The number of Chinese tourists to Vietnam exceeded 1.4 million visitors in the first ten months of this year.

The two countries also enhance bilateral coooperation in science and technology, education and training, peope-to-people exchange.-VNA