Vietnam and China have discussed major orientations and specific measures to further boost political trust by cementing bilateral cooperation and all-level friendship exchanges.

During the meeting between visiting President Truong Tan Sang and Chinese Premier Li Keqiang in Beijing on June 20, the two sides agreed to promote mutually beneficial cooperation, bring economic-trade links to a new stage in a more effective and sustainable manner, and incessantly enrich the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership between the two nations.

Premier Li spoke highly of the outcomes of the talks between President Truong Tan Sang and Chinese President Xi Jinping, affirming that the China ’s Government will work with its Vietnamese counterpart to effectively implement agreements reached during the visit.

President Sang congratulated Li Keqiang on his election as the Chinese Premier and conveyed Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung and other Vietnamese leaders’ regards to him.

They reached a consensus on implementing a plan for Vietnam–China economic and trade cooperation development for the 2012–2016 period, further promoting cooperation in agriculture, transport, manufacturing and support industry and building of infrastructure facilities linking the two countries, with the primary focus on a road connecting Pingxiang, Hanoi and Hai Phong, and a Hanoi, Lao Cai and Hai Phong express railway.

Drastic and effective measures were also reached to create a balanced, healthy and sustainable bilateral trade that matches each side’s benefits. The two sides set the goal of lifting two-way trade to 60 billion USD ahead of schedule by 2015.

President Sang asked the Chinese side to make it easier for Vietnam’s goods to enter China, especially products of Vietnam’s strength like farm produce, forestry, aquaculture and fisheries, as well as consider the signing of Government-level long-term contracts on importing Vietnam’s key items that China needs.
Vietnam hails Chinese investment in infrastructure, transport, manufacturing and support industry, especially large-scale projects using advanced technologies, he said.

The two sides shared the view that the two countries’ relevant ministries and departments need to perfect cooperation mechanisms, and sign or amend existing agreements to create more favourable conditions for the expansion of bilateral economic and trade cooperation.

Regarding sea-related issues, they were unanimous in maintaining contacts and dialogues, and satisfactory settlement of emerging issues through peaceful means in line with the common perception of the two nations’ high-ranking leaders, international law and the Agreement on Basic Principles Guiding the Settlement of Sea-related Issues between Vietnam and China.

At the same time, they suggested their ministries and agencies promptly launch a hotline to settle cases of contingency involving fishing activities to match their friendship.

On the occasion, President Truong Tan Sang, on behalf of the Communist Party of Vietnam ( CPV ) Central Committee and Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung, invited Premier Li Keqiang to officially visit Vietnam . Li accepted the invitation with pleasure and said he will visit Vietnam in an appropriate time.
The same day, President Sang met with Chairman of China’s National People’s Congress (NPC) Standing Committee Zhang Dejiang.

The Vietnamese State leader congratulated Zhang on his election as Chairman of the 12 th NPC Standing Committee. He conveyed Vietnamese leaders and National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Sinh Hung’s regards to Chairman Zhang.

Chairman Zhang spoke highly of President Sang’s visit, saying it will create a new momentum for further consolidating and developing the Vietnam-China comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership.

He also expressed his pleasure at the encouraging fruits of cooperation between the two legislatures and their bodies, which he said have helped reinforce political trust between the two Parties and States.
Both host and guest agreed that in the coming time, the two parliaments will continue to maintain high-level meetings and exchange of delegations between their committees while increasing the sharing of legislative experience and supervising and accelerating the two Governments’ realisation of signed agreements, especially an action programme on the implementation of the Vietnam-China comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership.

The two countries should further promote available bilateral cooperation mechanisms, boost a balanced and sustainable trade, and speed up investment cooperation as well as perfecting cooperation mechanisms to expand their economic and trade ties, they said.

President Sang and Chairman Zhang highly valued the roles of the Vietnam-China and China-Vietnam friendship parliamentarian groups in fostering the friendship and cooperation between the two nations and their people.

They expressed their wish that the two legislatures will strengthen coordination at regional and international parliamentary organisations and join hands in ensuring the efficiency and high enforceability of international treaties signed by the two countries.

They also agreed that the two countries’ leaders should maintain regular discussions and dialogues on maritime issues between Vietnam and China , and satisfactorily settle newly arising issues by peaceful means on the basis of international law and the Vietnam-China agreement on basic principles guiding the settlement of sea-related issues.

On this occasion, President Sang conveyed Vietnamese National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Sinh Hung’s invitation to Zhang Dejiang to pay an official visit to Vietnam in an appropriate time. Zhang accepted the invitation with pleasure.

With in the framework of the visit, on June 20, Vietnamese Minister of Foreign Affairs Pham Binh Minh held talks with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi. The two ministers discussed measures to realise the common perceptions of the two countries’ high-ranking leaders on deepening the Vietnam-China comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership.

They also talked ways to increase exchanges between the two ministries in the coming time as well as regional and international issues of mutual concern.

The same day, leaders of the Vietnamese Ministries of Public Security, Industry and Trade, Agriculture and Rural Development, and Transport met with their Chinese counterparts./.