Lê Hoài Trung, Chairman of the Communist Party of Việt Nam's Central Committee’s Commission for External Relations, and Chinese counterpart Song Tao, sign cooperation documents between the two agencies. — VNA/VNS Photo Phương Hoa

HÀ NỘI — Cooperation through Party channels plays an important role in orienting ties between Việt Nam and China, said officials in charge of external relations of the Communist Party of Việt Nam (CPV) and the Communist Party of China (CPC) during their talks held via videoconferencing on Tuesday. 

Lê Hoài Trung, Chairman of the CPV Central Committee’s Commission for External Relations, and Song Tao, head of the CPC Central Committee's International Liaison Department emphasised the importance of regular contact between high-ranking officials of the two countries in flexible forms.

They noted that phone talks between the two Parties' General Secretaries and high-level meetings and contacts had contributed to enhancing trust and defining the orientation for the stable and healthy development of relations.

In particular, exchanges between ministries, sectors of the two countries and cooperative mechanisms, including those between localities, had been maintained, contributing to continued growth of the bilateral economic, trade and investment partnerships, they said. 

The two sides used the occasion to inform each other about the situations of their respective Parties and countries, and exchanged views on international and regional issues of mutual concern.

The Vietnamese official congratulated the Chinese Party, State and people on successfully realising the first centenary goal and organising many important activities in recent years.

Regarding bilateral relations, Trung said it was necessary to promote high-level exchanges to enhance political trust and expand cooperation in fields that have achieved substantive progress. He suggested creating favourable conditions for localities, especially those along the shared border, to better utilise existing cooperative mechanisms.

He urged China to continue closely coordinating with Việt Nam to ensure the balance of trade and make further efforts to reduce goods congestion at border areas. He also expressed hope that the two countries early recognise each other's vaccine passports.

Trung called on China to seriously comply with three legal documents on land border management between Việt Nam and China, maintain peace, stability and properly handle sea-related issues, and closely work together with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in the full implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC) and to promote the building of an effective and substantive Code of Conduct in the South China Sea (COC).

Tao warmly congratulated Việt Nam on the achievements that the country has made since the 13th National Congress of CPV, especially overcoming the difficulties of the COVID-19 pandemic to resume socio-economic development.

He responded positively to issues raised by the Vietnamese, and shared his ideas on the focal points in the cooperation between the two Parties and countries.

Tao announced that the CPC Central Committee's International Liaison Department presented a number of medical supplies worth CNY 1.5 million (US$235,000) to support Việt Nam’s COVID-19 prevention and control efforts.

The two officials also signed a cooperation plan between the CPV and CPC for the 2021-25 period and a scheme for cooperation in training cadres between the two Parties. — VNS