Hanoi (VNA) – Vietnam always attaches great importance to strengthening its traditional friendship and comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership with China, a consistent priority in its foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, self-strengthening, and multilateralisation and diversification of external relations, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has said.
The PM made the remarks while receiving Chinese Minister of Foreign Affairs Wang Yi, Minister of National Defence Dong Jun, and Minister of Public Security Wang Xiaohong on March 16, on the occasion of the first ministerial-level 3+3 strategic dialogue on foreign affairs, national defence and public security between the two countries.
The Vietnamese leader sent greetings to Party General Secretary and President of China Xi Jinping, Premier Li Qiang, and other key leaders of China. He congratulated China on the successful fourth sessions of the 14th National People’s Congress and the 14th National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, with the 15th five-year socio-economic development plan approved for the next phase of development. He voiced confidence that China will achieve the goals set out in the plan and continue contributing to regional and global peace, stability and development.
PM Chinh welcomed the inaugural 3+3 strategic dialogue, held alongside the 17th meeting of the Vietnam – China Steering Committee for Bilateral Cooperation, describing the events as evidence of both sides’ strong determination to deepen political trust, enhance strategic cohesion and promote substantive cooperation at a higher level between the two Parties and countries.
The Chinese ministers conveyed greetings from Premier Li Qiang and other high-ranking leaders to PM Chinh while congratulating Vietnam on the success of the 14th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam as well as its recent development achievements under the leadership of the Party Central Committee, headed by General Secretary To Lam, and the strong and effective governance by the Vietnamese Government and PM.
China always views Vietnam as a priority in its neighbourhood diplomacy, they affirmed, emphasising its consistent support for and confidence in Vietnam’s fulfilment of socio-economic development targets for the coming period.
Noting the positive and comprehensive progress in bilateral ties under the “six major orientations”, PM Chinh asked the foreign affairs, defence and public security ministries of both countries to play a more proactive role in unceasingly strengthening political trust and mutual understanding between the two Parties, countries and peoples, and in making full use of existing cooperation mechanisms, particularly the 3+3 strategic dialogue.
He proposed closer coordination between the two foreign ministries to arrange and properly organise visits and meetings at all levels. The two defence ministries should expand friendship exchanges and substantive cooperation in the defence industry and United Nations peacekeeping operations. Meanwhile, the ministries of public security need to enhance collaboration effectiveness in security, law enforcement and crime combat.
The PM also called on the two countries' ministries to create favourable conditions to join hands with other ministries, sectors, and localities of both sides to foster result-oriented partnerships in areas such as economy – trade – investment, science – technology, culture, tourism, railway connectivity, locality-to-locality ties, and people-to-people exchanges, alongside reinforcing land border management, properly controlling and handling differences, and maintaining peace and stability at sea.
Appreciating their host's opinions, the Chinese ministers pledged close coordination with the Vietnamese counterparts to increase strategic exchanges, bolster political trust, take the lead in seriously and effectively implement the high-level common perceptions, and further intensify sectoral cooperation in diplomacy, defence, security and law enforcement, thereby making worthy contributions to the Vietnam – China Comprehensive Strategic Cooperative Partnership and the building of a Vietnam – China community with a shared future that carries strategic significance./.
