Deputy Defence Minister Sen. Lieut. Gen. Hoàng Xuân Chiến (right) had talks with Chinese Defence Attaché to Viêt Nam Colonel Pan Tao in Hà Nội. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — Deputy Defence Minister Sen. Lieut. Gen. Hoàng Xuân Chiến hosted Chinese Defence Attaché to Viêt Nam Colonel Pan Tao in Hà Nội on Tuesday.

At the meeting, Chiến said that the Vietnamese Party, Government and Ministry of National Defence always attached great importance to the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership between the two countries.

He noted that such a relationship formed a premise to promote cooperation in line with the spirit of a joint statement on continuing to promote and deepen the Viêt Nam-China comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership issued on the occasion of Party General Secretary Nguyễn Phú Trọng’s official visit to China last year.

Despite being affected by the COVID-19 epidemic, defence ties have been actively maintained through flexible forms of exchange and contact, he told the Chinese attaché. Chiến recommended they carry on with the promotion of such cooperation activities, especially delegation exchanges, and sign a number of documents serving their joint works in the field of navy and border guard.

The two countries should soon coordinate in preparing for and organising the 8th Viêt Nam-China border defence friendship exchange, he said.

Agreeing with Chiến’s suggestions, Pan said the Chinese Ministry of National Defense had identified cooperation activities with Viêt Nam in a cooperation plan and directed its relevant agencies to work with units under the Vietnamese ministry.

He informed his host that the Chinese ministry planned to invite Politburo members, Deputy Secretary of the Central Military Commission, and Minister of National Defence Gen. Phan Văn Giang to pay an official visit to China on the occasion of the 2023 Xiangshan Forum.  — VNS