Vietnamese Minister of National Defence General Phan Văn Giang (left) and Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission of China Senior Lieutenant General Zhang Youxia review the guard of honour of the Việt Nam People's Army in Hà Nội on Thursday. VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI – Minister of National Defence General Phan Văn Giang highlighted defence cooperation as an important pillar of the Việt Nam-China relations and suggested enhancing the collaboration, at his talks with visiting Senior Lieutenant General Zhang Youxia, Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission of China on Thursday.

At the Hà Nội talks, which took place following a welcome ceremony for the Chinese officer, Giang regarded Zhang’s visit as a vivid demonstration of the close ties and political trust between the two Parties, States, and armies.

The minister expressed his belief that the visit will be a success, contributing to implementing common perceptions and strategic guidelines of the two countries' high-ranking leaders, and creating new momentum for cooperation between the two armies.

Việt Nam considers the development of the friendship and cooperation with China an objective requirement, a strategic choice, and a top priority in its foreign policy, Giang said, adding Việt Nam always bears in mind the wholehearted support of the Chinese Party, Government, army, and people during its past struggle for national independence, as well as the present cause of socialism building and national development.

Both sides have stood side by side to persistently pursue the path towards socialism in line with their respective conditions, with a view toward building a Việt Nam-China community with a shared future that carries strategic significance, he continued.

Giang said the defence cooperation has been growing intensively and substantively, contributing to materialising common perceptions reached by the two countries’ high-ranking leaders. He elaborated on regular all-level delegation exchanges, along with progress in land border cooperation – a highlight of the defence ties, collaboration between naval and coast guard forces, and cooperation in education-training, strategic research, UN peacekeeping operations, and military medicine.

At the same time, the two sides have maintained close coordination and mutual consultation and support at regional and international forums and mechanisms, Giang said.

He said the two armies should uphold their key role in the Việt Nam-China relations, and suggested maintaining regular high-level engagements and cooperation mechanisms, while forging cooperation in the Party and political work, defence industry, and military trade, and exchanges between young officers.

The minister touched upon the expansion of cooperation in personnel training, scholar exchange, logistics, military medicine, UN peacekeeping operations, and response to non-traditional security challenges.

Regarding maritime issues, Giang stressed Việt Nam’s consistent viewpoint on resolving all disputes and disagreements through peaceful means in line with international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and fully implementing the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC), as well as the country’s wish for the early conclusion of negotiations and signing of a substantive and effective Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC) in accordance with international law and for the sake of all relevant parties.

He noted that leaders of the Vietnamese Defence Ministry are pleased to welcome their Chinese counterparts to attend the celebration of the 80th anniversary of the Việt Nam People’s Army and the second Việt Nam International Defence Expo in December.

For his part, Zhang also highlighted the special relationship between Việt Nam and China, saying the friendship, fostered by generations of the two countries’ leaders, has become a valuable shared asset.

He shared Giang’s view that the bilateral defence cooperation has been growing more intensively, fruitfully, practically, and solidly.

At the end of the talks, the two ministries inked a letter of intent on enhancing defence cooperation, and an agreement on border defence cooperation. VNS