Beijing, China — China and Vietnam have reaffirmed their commitment to managing their differences through friendly consultation, emphasizing the importance of cooperation and mutual understanding in strengthening their bilateral ties.
During a meeting on Sunday between Chinese Premier Li Qiang and Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, both leaders highlighted the necessity of sticking to amicable dialogue to properly handle disagreements and to expand maritime cooperation.
Premier Li underscored China’s firm support for Vietnam as it follows a development path suited to its national conditions. He called for enhanced alignment of development strategies, proposing the synergy of China’s Belt and Road Initiative with Vietnam’s Two Corridors and One Economic Circle plan.
“China is prepared to work closely with Vietnam to deepen cooperation in connectivity, trade and investment, tourism, healthcare, and disaster prevention and reduction,” Li stated. He also highlighted opportunities in emerging sectors such as the digital economy and green development, aiming to continuously elevate collaboration across various fields.
The Chinese premier emphasized the importance of deepening cultural and people-to-people exchanges to foster mutual understanding between the two nations, particularly among the younger generations.
Li expressed China’s readiness to enhance coordination with Vietnam on multilateral platforms like the United Nations and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), striving to promote global governance in a more equitable and reasonable direction.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh affirmed that developing relations with China is a top priority and strategic choice for Vietnam’s party and government. He noted that China is the only country encompassing all of Vietnam’s foreign policy priorities.
“Vietnam firmly adheres to the one-China principle and supports China’s development,” Pham Minh Chinh stated. He expressed eagerness to maintain close high-level exchanges, accelerate transportation infrastructure connectivity, and explore new models such as cross-border economic cooperation zones.
Highlighting that next year marks the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries, the Vietnamese prime minister proposed strengthening exchanges in education, tourism, and youth engagement.
“We should implement the high-level consensus of our parties and countries, manage differences through friendly consultation, and jointly safeguard maritime peace and stability,” he emphasized.
Both leaders agreed that during Premier Li’s visit, the two sides would issue a joint statement to further solidify their commitments.
Reference(s):
China, Vietnam stress handling differences via friendly consultation
cgtn.com
