​Vietnam sees ties with China as top priority: Party chief

​Vietnam sees ties with China as top priority: Party chief

Vietnam considers further promoting its relations with China as its top priority and strategic choice, while supporting a powerful socialist China, Vietnamese Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong told his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping on Tuesday.

Vietnam’s Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong (R) and Chinese General Secretary and President Xi Jinping pose for a photo before their talks in Hanoi, December 12, 2023. Photo: Vietnam News Agency

Trong was speaking at his talks with Chinese Party General Secretary and President Xi at the headquarters of the Party Central Committee in Hanoi.

The talks took place right after the official welcome ceremony for the Chinese leader and his spouse Peng Liyuan, along with their entourage, who arrived in Hanoi on Tuesday afternoon for a state visit lasting until Wednesday.

General Secretary Trong highly appreciated the third visit to Vietnam by his Chinese counterpart, saying it reflects Xi’s special interest in the traditional friendship, bilateral relationship, and good prospects of the two countries.

Top priority, strategic choice

Trong told his guest that Vietnam considers further developing its relations with China as its top priority and strategic choice, and supports China to become a powerful socialist China that increasingly makes significant contributions to the cause of peace and progress of mankind.

The Vietnamese Party leader also conveyed his gratitude for the assistance provided by the Chinese people to Vietnam's revolutionary efforts in the past, as well as their ongoing support for the current endeavors in building socialism and promoting national development.

Trong reiterated Vietnam’s consistent foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, peace, friendship, cooperation and development, as well as diversification and multilateralization of external relations.

Vietnam proactively and actively integrates into the world, as a friend, a trusted partner, and an active and responsible member of the international community, Trong told his guest.

Trong reiterated Vietnam's defense policy of 'four nos,' which are the principles of no engagement in military alliances, no alignment with any single nation against another, no foreign military bases on Vietnamese soil or usage of Vietnam as a pawn to counteract other countries, and no use or threat of force in international relations.

Xi expressed his pleasure in re-visiting Vietnam and meeting General Secretary Trong again.

He thanked Trong and the Vietnamese Party, state, and people for their respectful, cordial, and thoughtful reception for him and his spouse, as well as for his high-ranking entourage.

Xi affirmed that the Chinese Party, government, and people highly value their relations with Vietnam, considering the Southeast Asian country a priority in its foreign policy toward neighbors.

He highlighted China's unwavering support for Vietnam's pursuit of building socialism and its commitment to assisting Vietnam in achieving prosperity with content and satisfied citizens.

He recalled Trong's recently visit to the Huu Nghi (Friendship) border gate and planting ‘friendship’ trees there, considering it a message of trust and development in relations between the two Parties, two countries, and two peoples.

Since the two sides established their comprehensive strategic partnership 15 years ago with the motto of “friendly neighbors, comprehensive cooperation, long-term stability, and looking to the future” as well as in the spirit of “good neighbors, good friends, good comrades, and good partners,” their bilateral cooperation has developed fruitfully in all fields and the rapport between the two Parties and governments has constantly expanded and deepened, both leaders agreed.

Building Vietnam-China community with shared future 

Based on the achievements gained over the past 15 years and in order to meet the new requirements of both nations, the host and guest agreed to build “a China-Vietnam community with a shared future that carries strategic significance” to deepen their comprehensive strategic partnership.

They also committed to exerting joint efforts for the well-being of both nations and contributing to peace and progress of humanity, in line with the United Nations Charter and international law.

This commitment is grounded in the principles of mutual respect, equal cooperation for mutual benefit, respect for each other's independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity, and the continual resolution of disagreements through peaceful means.

As per the said orientations and principles, the two nations will continuously strengthen political trust and enhance exchanges between senior leaders of the two Parties and countries through diverse and flexible forms, while promoting the strategic guiding role of the two communist Parties over the overall bilateral relationship.

The two leaders also concurred on enhancing defense and security ties significantly, making it one of the pillars of their bilateral relations.

They committed to intensifying and sustaining economic, trade, and investment cooperation between their nations.

They pledged to forged closer multilateral coordination for the mutual benefit of the two countries and actively contribute to the shared interests of the international community.

Regarding maritime issues, the two leaders exchanged sincere and candid opinions, emphasizing the need to better control and resolve disagreements at sea to maintain peace and stability in the East Vietnam Sea as well as the wider region.

Trong proposed that the two sides implement high-level common perceptions; respect each other’s legitimate interests; not complicate the situation; resolve disputes through peaceful measures, in accordance with international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS); implement the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Vietnam Sea (DOC); and finalize a Code of Conduct (COC) for the waterway based on the 1982 UNCLOS.

Discussing international and regional issues of mutual concern, Trong emphasized that in the context of complex international and regional developments, it is important that countries jointly implement policies of peace, cooperation, and development, while complying with international law and respecting each other’s equality and legitimate interests.

He also called for settlement of disagreements by peaceful means, with no threat or use of force in international relations, cooperation for mutual development, and coordination to respond to traditional and non-traditional security challenges.

Xi concurred with Trong's views on both sides collectively guiding their respective Parties, peoples, and armies to exert efforts in advancing the solid, stable, sustainable, enduring, and more effective development of Vietnam-China relations.

The objective is to elevate their comprehensive strategic partnership to new heights.

After their talks, the host and guest looked through and listened to introductions to 36 cooperation agreements in various fields signed between ministries, agencies, and localities of both countries on the occasion of Xi’s visit.

Among these documents, 24 feature cooperation at the government, ministry, and agency levels, four cover politics and foreign affairs, another four mention security and national defense, and the other four describe cooperation between locales of the two countries, according to the Vietnam Government Portal. 

On the evening of the same day, the hosts, including Trong, President Vo Van Thuong, and their spouses, held a grand welcoming banquet for Xi and his spouse.

Tuoi Tre News