The 6th ASEAN-China Defense Ministers’ Informal Meeting took place in Vientiane, Laos, as part of the 10th ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM). Minister of National Defence Ngô Xuân Lịch led a Vietnamese delegation to the event.— VNA/VNS Photo Nguyễn Chiến

VIENTIANE — The 6th ASEAN-China Defense Ministers’ Informal Meeting took place in Vientiane, Laos, as part of the 10th ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM).

Minister of National Defence Ngô Xuân Lịch led a Vietnamese delegation to the event.

China’s defence minister Chang Wanquan called on ASEAN members and China to enhance co-operation via joint patrols, anti-terrorism work and maritime exercises.

ASEAN and Chinese defence ministers underlined the significance of co-operation in defence security and committed to addressing matters via peaceful means, without the threat or use of force.

Vietnamese defence minister Lịch hailed the function as a necessary and effective means to help ASEAN and its key strategic partners in the region to discuss issues of mutual concern, especially on defence and military affairs.

This will contribute to building and maintaining mutual trust and putting forth measures to tackle common security challenges and strengthening solidarity within the bloc as well as embracing links between ASEAN and China, he said.

Việt Nam valued the contributions of China to the building of the ASEAN Community and its support for promoting the central role of the association in the region and ASEAN defence co-operation mechanisms such as ADMM+ and the ASEAN Regional Forum, he said.

The minister underscored the goal of bolstering bilateral and multilateral collaboration among ASEAN nations as well as between ASEAN and its partners in the fields of defence and military affairs, to create a peaceful, stable, developing and equal environment.

Apart from ASEAN’s efforts, the assistance and contribution of bloc partners, especially China, are of importance, he said.

He proposed ASEAN and China maintain information exchanges, consultations and study the establishment of a hotline between the two sides’ defence ministers.

The official also suggested enacting measures to build trust via field activities, especially at sea, while expanding the application of the Code for Unplanned Encounters at Sea for ASEAN and Chinese public service ships, and building a similar code for airplanes in the East Sea.

If this proposal is realised, it will contribute to mitigating miscalculation of the involved parties, he noted.

On the sidelines of the ADMM 10, minister Ngô Xuân Lịch had a bilateral meeting with his Malaysian counterpart Hishammuddin Hussein, during which the two sides agreed on measures to promote the relations between the two countries’ armies.—VNS