Defence Minister General Phung Quang Thanh held talks with Vice Chairman of the Chinese Party Central Committee’s Military Commission Fan Changlong in Beijing on October 18 before concluding his visit to China.

Minister Thanh said Vietnam treasures friendship and comprehensive cooperation with China , and hopes the two sides will work together to reinforce bilateral ties for the interests of the two parties, states and peoples.

He suggested the two armies, in particular, promote their traditional friendship and coordination for healthy and sustainable development.

Regarding sovereignty disputes at sea, Minister Thanh reiterated Vietnam’s consistent policy of addressing the issues by peaceful means in line with international law, including the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC).

Vietnam is joining efforts with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and China to build a Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC), the Minister said.

For his part, Fan Changlong confirmed that China appreciates its relations with Vietnam, describing the traditional cooperation as the valuable treasure of the two countries that needs to be further promoted.-VNA