The armies of Vietnam and China should enhance their comprehensive cooperation, especially border exchanges, to forge closer friendship and solidarity between the two nations, said Vietnamese Defence Minister General Phung Quang Thanh.

Minister Thanh made the remark during talks with his Chinese counterpart Senior Lieutenant General Chang Wanquan in Yunnan province, China on May 17 as part of the second Vietnam-China border defence friendship exchange.

In their speech, the two officers concurred that the exchange was successful, reflecting the solidarity and friendship between the two armies and peoples.

Chinese Defence Minister Chang Wanquan agreed to continue organising the event in the coming years.

The Vietnamese guest affirmed the Vietnamese People’s Army strictly executes the directions of the Party and State on stepping up defence cooperation between the two nations.

He stressed the need to maintain peace and stability and mutually-beneficial cooperation between the two countries, adding that the two armies should expand exchange activities and connections along shared-border lines.

Following the talks, the two ministers signed a memorandum of understanding on their border defence friendship discussion and held interviews with press agencies.

Earlier, they witnessed a joint patrol between Vietnam’s border forces serving at the Lao Cai International Border Gate in Vietnam and China’s Hehou border battalion.

The Vietnamese high-ranking defence delegates returned home on May 18, concluding their activities in the four-day exchange.

The Second Vietnam-China border defence friendship exchange, a pillar in maintaining and strengthening the nations’ bilateral friendship, took place in both countries from May 15-18.-VNA