President Võ Văn Thưởng (left) meets with General Secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and President of China Xi Jinping in Beijing on Friday. — VNA/VNS Photo Thống Nhất

BEIJING — State President Võ Văn Thưởng had a meeting with the General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and State President of China, Xi Jinping on Friday in Beijing, as part of his visit to attend the 3rd Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation.

During the meeting, President Thưởng conveyed warm regards and good wishes from the General Secretary of the Communist Party of Việt Nam (CPV) Central Committee Nguyễn Phú Trọng and the key leaders of the Party and the State to General Secretary and President Xi Jinping, as well as to Chinese senior leaders.

President Thưởng congratulated China on the success of the 3rd Belt and Road forum, with the participation of over 150 leaders, representatives from various countries, and international organisations.

Chinese leader Xi conveyed warm regards and affectionate greetings to Vietnamese Party leader Trọng and Vietnamese top leaders.

He expressed his joy over the positive developments in the friendly neighbourly relations and comprehensive cooperation between the two Parties and two countries, with high-level exchanges taking place regularly, resulting in substantial new progress.

The two countries' leaders underscored the importance of Việt Nam-China relationship in the foreign policy of each country.

President Thưởng congratulated China on the significant achievements it had made since the 20th Congress of the CPC. He affirmed that the Party, the State, and the people of Việt Nam always considered strengthening and developing Việt Nam-China relations as a strategic choice and a top priority in Việt Nam's foreign policy.

General Secretary and President Xi confirmed that China likewise viewed Việt Nam as a priority in its foreign policy, welcomed and supported Việt Nam's strong development, and successful industrialisation and modernisation efforts so both countries could develop hand-in-hand.

He expressed China's appreciation for General Secretary Trọng's visit to the Hữu Nghị Border Gate and the planting of commemorative trees there, which demonstrated the importance that the Vietnamese Party and State attach to China-Việt Nam relations.

The two sides had extensive exchanges on the direction and major measures to further strengthen and deepen the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership in the future, following General Secretary Trọng's historic visit to China in October last year.

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Overview of the talks between Vietnamese and Chinese heads of state. — VNA/VNS Photo Thống Nhất

​President Thưởng proposed that both sides deepen the substance of their relationship, enhancing high-level exchanges and boosting practical cooperation in various areas. He emphasised a balanced and sustainable economic and trade cooperation relationship, advocating for the expansion of imports of Vietnamese goods, especially agricultural products, for the benefit of both countries' farmers and consumers.

He also expressed a desire to boost transport connectivity with China and urged China to promptly implement aid for Việt Nam. Moreover, he called for better coordination between the two countries in resolving issues in certain cooperative projects.

President Thưởng suggested that both sides strive to create a favourable environment for the overall flourishing development of their bilateral relationship and to enhance people-to-people exchanges. He highlighted the importance of the younger generation deepening their understanding of the traditional friendship between the two nations.

Additionally, President Thưởng hoped that both sides would work together to effectively manage and appropriately resolve differences at sea. He emphasised the spirit of respecting each other's legitimate and lawful interests, acting in accordance with international law, particularly the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). He envisioned the East Sea (known internationally as the South China Sea) as a region of peace, friendship, cooperation, and development, urging joint efforts with other relevant nations towards this goal.

In response, the Chinese leader expressed appreciation for President Thưởng's proposals. He agreed to promote high-level exchanges and various levels of contact to bolster political trust between the two sides.

Highlighting the importance of substantive and mutually beneficial cooperation between the two countries, General Secretary and President Xi affirmed that China was prepared to expand imports from Việt Nam, encompassing agricultural products and industrial goods.

He suggested that both sides strengthen the connections between China's "Belt and Road" initiative and Việt Nam's "Two Corridors, One Belt" framework. They should develop specific cooperation plans and integrate them with each side's reform and development tasks to promote strategic cooperation in areas such as infrastructure, transportation connectivity, and sharing experiences in state-owned enterprise reforms.

Both leaders underscored the importance of enhancing people-to-people exchanges, fostering goodwill, and handling differences properly to ensure peace and stability at sea and in the region.

Furthermore, the two leaders exchanged views on international and regional issues of shared concern and agreed to collaboratively strive for peace, cooperation, and development in the region and globally. — VNS