Deputy Prime Minister Pham Binh Minh receives Chinese Foreign Minister
At the reception, Deputy Prime Minister Pham Binh Minh suggested that both sides control disagreements at sea well, not take actions that complicate the situation, expand disputes, and maintain peace and stability in the East Sea.
On the afternoon of April 1, at the Government Guest House, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh held talks with Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi on the occasion of his official visit to Vietnam and attendance at the 6th Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) Summit.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh congratulated Mr. Wang Yi on his recent appointment as State Councilor and Foreign Minister of the People's Republic of China; congratulated China on successfully organizing the Two Sessions, electing the new Leadership, and concretizing socio-economic development policies in the coming time; and affirmed that the Party and Government of Vietnam attach importance to and wish to develop a comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership with China.
The two sides agreed on a plan to promote and prepare well for visits and contacts between high-ranking leaders of the two Parties and two countries; strengthen cooperation between ministries, branches and the two countries; expand exchanges between localities and people of the two countries; strengthen monitoring and urging the implementation of the common perceptions of high-ranking leaders, agreements and agreed cooperation contents; actively support the resolution of existing and arising problems, and maintain the stable and positive development momentum of bilateral relations.
Deputy Prime Minister Pham Binh Minh proposed measures to promote the important role of the Vietnam-China Bilateral Cooperation Steering Committee in coordinating overall cooperation areas between ministries, sectors and localities of the two countries; strengthen coordination between the two foreign ministries in promoting bilateral cooperation; request China to continue creating conditions for more Vietnamese products with strengths to be imported into the Chinese market; promote balanced and healthy development of bilateral trade; effectively implement China's aid to Vietnam; further strengthen mutually beneficial cooperation in areas where China has strengths and Vietnam has needs such as agriculture, environment, climate change response, science and technology; promote cooperation in the fields of finance and transportation, achieving new progress; further strengthen economic trust between the two sides.
Regarding maritime issues, Deputy Prime Minister Pham Binh Minh expressed concern about potential factors that increase tensions and instability at sea, clearly stating that Vietnam's legitimate and legal rights and interests need to be respected in accordance with the provisions of the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea; requested that both sides seriously implement the common perception of the Senior Leaders, the "Agreement on basic principles guiding the settlement of maritime issues between Vietnam and China," persistently resolve disputes in the East Sea by peaceful means, in accordance with international law, especially the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, promote new progress in the work of Government-level negotiations on territorial borders and of the three working groups on the sea area outside the mouth of the Gulf of Tonkin, cooperation in less sensitive areas at sea, and discussion on cooperation for mutual development at sea; Fully and effectively implement the “Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea” (DOC), actively discuss with ASEAN countries the specific and substantive contents of the Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC); well control disagreements at sea, do not take actions that complicate the situation, expand disputes, maintain peace and stability in the East Sea.
Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi expressed his pleasure in visiting Vietnam again right after the Two Sessions of China; congratulated Vietnam on successfully organizing the 6th Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) Summit; and said that this GMS Summit has made an important contribution to promoting cooperation between countries within the framework of the Greater Mekong Subregion, as well as enhancing Vietnam's international position.
Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi affirmed that the Chinese Party and Government attach great importance to continuously consolidating and developing the China-Vietnam comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership; China is willing to work with Vietnam to strengthen strategic exchanges, increase political trust, deepen mutually beneficial cooperation, properly handle differences, promote the healthy and stable development of bilateral relations, bring practical benefits to the two countries and peoples, and actively contribute to promoting peace, stability and prosperity in the region.
After the talks, the two sides met with the press to announce the content and results of the talks./.
