HÀ NỘI – National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyễn Thị Kim Ngân hosted a reception in Hà Nội yesterday for Chinese Ambassador to Việt Nam, Hong Xiaoyong, calling for further facilitation of high-level visits and increased political trust.

Ngân said both countries reached a common consensus on orientations to foster stable, healthy and sustainable ties during Party General Secretary Nguyễn Phú Trọng’s visit to China in April 2015 and Chinese Party General Secretary and President Xi Jinping’s Việt Nam visit in November 2015.

The two countries should boost practical co-operation and deal with maritime issues in the spirit of respecting each other’s legitimate interests and international law, she said.

She suggested continuing to realise co-operation agreements between Vietnamese and Chinese legislatures as well as increase experience sharing between Vietnamese and Chinese ministries and localities.

Hong, for his part, congratulated the Vietnamese NA on the successful organisation of the election of deputies to the 14th National Assembly and the People’s Councils at all levels for the 2016-21 tenure.

Reviewing the positive development of bilateral ties, he said two-way trade surpassed US$90.8 billion, with Việt Nam becoming the top trade partner of China in ASEAN.

He also underscored connectivity within the “Two corridors, one economic belt” framework for increased border trade, saying that the two countries’ authorised agencies have scored specific deals to improve manufacturing capability as well as nurture defence and education ties and people-to-people exchanges.

The guest wished that more practical measures would be adopted to lift the Việt Nam-China relationship to a greater height.

Farewell to Australian ambassador

On the same day, Ngân had a farewell meeting with the outgoing Australian Ambassador to Việt Nam, Hugh Borrowman.

The Vietnamese NA head thanked and appreciated the Australian diplomat for his contributions to bilateral co-operation during his post in Việt Nam, saying that such contributions had helped deepen the comprehensive partnership between the two countries.

She expressed satisfaction that the political relations between the two countries had developed well while ties in the economy, trade and investment, education and training had become key fields of co-operation. Australia is among the top trading partners and investors in Việt Nam with trade turnover growth of 10 per cent per year, reaching around US$5 billion in 2015.

Ngân also thanked Australia’s help and support through ODA projects including the Cao Lãnh and Mỹ Thuận bridges, saying that such projects represented the friendship between the two countries.

In response, the Australian ambassador praised the Vietnamese community in Australia for their contributions in the country. Expressing his pleasure at the good relationship between the two countries as well as between the Australian Parliament and the National Assembly of Việt Nam, the Ambassador said that the prospects for strengthening relations between the two countries were still wide open.

In the near future, Australia would continue to be an important partner of Việt Nam in programmes of development co-operation. For the legislative cooperation, the two sides would continue to implement the agreement, focusing on cooperation in matters relating to gender equality and female empowerment, he said. — VNS