Vietnam stressed regional cooperation amidst the global financial-economic crisis at the 2009 Pan-Tonkin Gulf Economic Forum held in Nanning City , Guangxi province, China on Aug. 6 and 7.

In his speech at the forum, head Vietnamese delegate Deputy Minister of Transport Le Manh Hung affirmed the importance of ensuring supplementation and harmonisation in expanding Tonkin Gulf economic cooperation within the frameworks and cooperation mechanisms for the East Asian region, including the Vietnam-China initiative of “Two corridors, one economic belt”.

Vietnam also stressed the need to ensure participating countries benefit, by selecting suitable fields for cooperation, and respecting international regulations and each country’s own laws.

The Vietnamese delegation comprised representatives from the ministries of foreign affairs, transport, industry-trade, planning-investment and agriculture and rural development, as well as the Vietnamese Institute of Social Sciences.

This year’s forum was held under the theme of “Co-build a new China-ASEAN growth pole – expand cooperation and turn crisis into opportunity”.

Speeches and reports focused on the current global financial crisis, Pan-Tonkin Gulf cooperation and the expansion of joint efforts between the Tonkin Gulf and other areas in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

The event drew the participation of almost 400 Chinese and overseas representatives. This was the fourth time that Guangxi province has hosted the Pan-Tonkin Gulf economic forum. The first forum was held in 2006.

On the sideline of the forum, the third meeting of the expert group on Pan-Tonkin Gulf cooperation took place.

While in Nanning , the Vietnamese delegation had an exchange of views with Vice President of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region Yang Daoxi./.