Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung receives the Vice Prime Minister of China.

On the afternoon of July 16, at the Government Headquarters, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung received Zhang Gaoli, Member of the Standing Committee of the Politburo and Vice Premier of the State Council of China, who is currently visiting Vietnam.

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung receives Chinese Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli.

Warmly welcoming Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli's visit to Vietnam, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung affirmed that the visit is of great significance, taking place in the year when Vietnam and China celebrate the 65th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations; the relationship between the two countries is on a positive upward trajectory, and the leaders of the two Parties and two countries maintain regular contact and exchanges, reaching many important common understandings on promoting the stable and sustainable development of the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership between Vietnam and China.

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung emphasized that, as neighboring countries, Vietnam-China relations over the past 65 years have experienced ups and downs, but friendship has always been the main current in the relationship between the two Parties and the two countries. Vietnam deeply understands the special relationship between the two countries, meticulously nurtured by previous generations of Vietnamese and Chinese leaders, as an invaluable shared asset that both countries must jointly preserve and cultivate to make it even better, so that the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership between Vietnam and China can be implemented in a comprehensive, positive, and effective manner.

The Prime Minister affirmed that Vietnam has always attached great importance to maintaining and developing stable and sustainable friendly cooperative relations with the Party, Government, and people of China, and has always considered this a consistent, long-term policy and a top priority strategic choice in Vietnam's foreign policy.

The Prime Minister suggested that the two countries should strengthen friendly cooperation, appropriately handle disagreements, and work together to create a peaceful and stable environment to focus on cooperative development. This is a fundamental, great, and long-term common interest of the two Parties, the two States, and the people of Vietnam and China.
With this shared understanding, at the meeting, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung and Vice Prime Minister Zhang Gaoli discussed and agreed that both sides should strengthen political trust through maintaining high-level contacts and exchanges; and through these contacts, both sides should promptly exchange views on important issues in bilateral relations; promptly resolve any obstacles arising in the cooperation process; and ensure that bilateral relations develop along the right trajectory.

Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli stated that General Secretary and President Xi Jinping highly values ​​the invitation to visit Vietnam from Vietnamese leaders and suggested that both sides coordinate closely to arrange this visit. Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli also reiterated the invitation from Chinese leaders for Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung to pay an official visit to China soon.

Both sides also agreed to strengthen substantive cooperation in the fields of economics, trade, investment, and tourism; expressed confidence that bilateral trade turnover would reach US$100 billion in the near future; and agreed to ensure that economic and trade relations develop in a balanced, high-quality, and efficient manner, benefiting both sides. Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli acknowledged the trade imbalance and China's large trade surplus with Vietnam; and committed to facilitating and increasing imports of Vietnamese goods, including rice.

Both sides agreed to enhance the role of the two Working Groups on Infrastructure and Monetary Cooperation; and agreed to discuss China's desire to invest in several large-scale infrastructure projects in Vietnam, as well as ideas on connecting the two countries' development strategies and cooperating to improve production capacity. Both sides agreed to encourage increased exchanges and cooperation between localities, especially border localities; promote the construction of cross-border economic zones between the two countries; strengthen people-to-people exchanges, especially among young people; and cooperate in personnel training.

Regarding maritime issues, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung proposed that both sides adhere to important agreements and common understandings of the high-level leaders of the two Parties and two countries on effectively managing disagreements at sea, refraining from actions that complicate or expand disputes, and jointly maintaining peace and stability in the South China Sea; seriously and fully implement the "Agreement on the Basic Principles Guiding the Resolution of Maritime Issues between Vietnam and China" and the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC); promptly work with ASEAN countries to complete the development of the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea (COC); appropriately handle disputes through peaceful means in accordance with international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea; and jointly preserve a peaceful and stable environment for the development of both countries and the region.

The Prime Minister suggested that both sides effectively implement the negotiation mechanism on maritime issues, promote the satisfactory resolution of related issues; actively and fully implement the agreed-upon areas of cooperation, including promoting delimitation negotiations coupled with cooperation for joint development in the area outside the Gulf of Tonkin.

On this matter, Vice Prime Minister Zhang Gaoli agreed with Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung's opinion; and emphasized that both sides need to seriously implement the agreements reached by the high-level leaders of the two countries; not expand disputes, not increase tensions or further complicate the situation; effectively manage all disagreements and cooperate in less sensitive areas at sea.
For his part, Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli affirmed that China always attaches great importance to promoting cooperative relations with Vietnam and will make every effort to work with Vietnam to deepen, strengthen, and enhance the effectiveness of the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership between the two countries. “The purpose of my visit to Vietnam is to work with my Vietnamese colleagues to implement the agreements reached by the high-level leaders of the two countries. This includes strengthening friendship and political trust; appropriately addressing disagreements; engaging in substantive, mutually beneficial, and win-win cooperation; and ensuring the healthy, stable, and long-term development of the China-Vietnam comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership,” Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli stated.

According to Chinhphu.vn