The Vietnamese side at the online talks on June 29. VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — Permanent Vice Chairman of the National Assembly (NA) Trần Thanh Mẫn and Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress (NPC) of China Wang Chen held online talks on Wednesday.

They shared the view that relations between the two Parties and countries have continued thriving, with all-level exchanges and meetings held frequently in flexible forms. In particular, the Party general secretaries of Việt Nam and China have had four phone talks in two straight years, helping enhance political trust and identify strategic orientations for the healthy and stable development of the two Parties and countries’ relations.

The vice chairmen affirmed that the practical and effective cooperation between the two legislatures form an important part of ties between the two Parties and countries. Given this, they agreed to order their respective sides’ relevant agencies to fruitfully carry out the cooperation agreement signed in 2015 between the Vietnamese NA and the Chinese NPC, and implement the cooperation activities agreed on at the virtual talks between NA Chairman Vương Đình Huệ and his Chinese counterpart Li Zhanshu in June 2021.

To further promote Việt Nam - China connections, including parliamentary ties, Mẫn asked the two sides to keep increasing strategic discussion and reinforcing political trust via high-level meetings; boost cooperation in all aspects to obtain substantive progress, including stepping up partnerships in economy - trade - investment, culture - education, and COVID-19 fight; continue cooperating to deal with problems arising during the cooperation process in a timely manner; and soon resume normal travel activities between the countries.

Việt Nam hopes that bilateral high-level mutual visits will be organised soon in 2022, he noted.

He said the two parliaments should work closely together to monitor Vietnamese and Chinese agencies, ministries, sectors, and localities’ implementation of the three legal documents on land border between the two countries while taking measures to handle issues emerging in a timely and thorough manner, helping build a borderline of peace, stability, cooperation, and sustainable development.

The Vietnamese official also called on the NPC to promote Chinese ministries, sectors, and localities’ creation of favourable conditions for export - import activities at the countries’ border gates in order to address the goods congestion there, thus maintaining stable supply chains, and guaranteeing businesses’ interests and people’s livelihoods on both sides.

Regarding the East Sea (internationally known as South China Sea) issue, Mẫn reaffirmed that Việt Nam and China need to keep coordination to sustain peace and stability; control and properly resolve sea-related issues; seriously comply with the common perceptions and agreements reached between the two Parties and countries’ leaders, especially the agreement on basic principles guiding the settlement of sea-related issues; and persistently settle sea-related issues by peaceful means in line with international law, including the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

He also asked the legislative bodies to strengthen coordination and mutual support at multilateral forums, boost exchanging opinions between NA and NPC delegations at international and regional inter-parliamentary organisations, and work with each other to ensure the implementation of the international treaties to which both Việt Nam and China are parties.

Sharing Mẫn’s view on the need to reinforce parliamentary ties, Wang said NPC leaders always pay attention to and strive to enhance the two Parties and countries’ relations, as well as cooperation between their legislatures.

He underlined the importance of consolidating the Việt Nam - China comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership, noting China wishes to join Việt Nam to bring into play their traditional friendship, enhance political trust, and further intensify win-win cooperation, thereby bringing more benefits to the two countries' people and contributing to regional and international development, stability, and prosperity.

He also agreed on the necessity for continued exchanges and contact at all levels and expressed the Chinese side’s readiness to join hands with the Vietnamese NA to fruitfully carry out the two parliaments’ cooperation deal.

China will continue assisting Việt Nam in the COVID-19 combat, the Vice Chairman of the NPC Standing Committee added.

Wang also shared Việt Nam’s opinions about the promotion of economic - trade - investment ties, along with the adherence to the common perceptions on peace and stability maintenance in the East Sea. VNS