BEIJING — President Trần Đại Quang met on Thursday in Beijing with Party General Secretary and President of China Xi Jinping, stressing that the Vietnamese Party and State consider the strong relationship with China a strategic choice and top priority in Việt Nam’s external relations.

The Vietnamese leader expressed his belief that under the sound leadership of the Communist Party of China (CPC) led by Xi, China will score greater achievements in the cause of building a socialist state of modernity, wealth, democracy, civilisation, and harmony, contributing to peace, stability, and prosperity in the region and the world.

He conveyed his wishes for a successful 19th Congress of the CPC slated for later this year, and said he looked forward to welcoming President Xi at the Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation (APEC) Summit in Đà Nẵng in November.

Việt Nam and China are close neighbours with many similarities, he said, adding that the friendship founded and fostered by Presidents Hồ Chí Minh and Mao Zhedong during the countries’ struggles for national liberation was a valuable asset for both nations that needs to be maintained.

The healthy and stable development of the Việt Nam-China collaboration matches the basic and long-term interests of the two people and benefits peace, stability and development in the region and the world, he stated.

Xi, for his part, affirmed that the Chinese Party, State and people place high importance on the friendship with Việt Nam and wish to work with the Vietnamese Party, State and people to further that friendship and strategic co-operative partnership.

At their talks, the two leaders praised the progress in ties between the two Parties and countries in recent years and discussed in depth major orientations to strengthen trust and promote win-win co-operation, and maintain peace and stability at sea.

They agreed to maintain regular exchanges and contacts between Party and State leaders to map out strategic orientations, and promptly handle issues in order to maintain friendly, healthy and stable Việt Nam-China ties.

The sides agreed on applying measures to boost bilateral trade, facilitating Việt Nam’s trade promotion offices in Chinese localities, and encouraging businesses to increase trade, especially of agricultural and fishery products, and of food. Chinese enterprises are encouraged to join eco-friendly advanced technology projects that are suitable to Việt Nam’s demand and sustainable development strategy.

President Quang asked China to employ measures to gradually reduce Việt Nam’s trade deficit with the country, including stepping up the import of Vietnamese farm produce.

They agreed to discuss the signing of a master plan on building a cross-border economic co-operation area.

He suggested the sides increase co-operation in agriculture, environment, science-technology and climate change response, and proposed helping Việt Nam create rice varieties adaptable to drought and saltwater intrusion in the Mekong Delta.

The two countries should soon discuss renewing an agreement on a hotline to tackle unexpected issues relating to fishing at sea and boost co-operation in the sustainable use of water resources of the Lancang-Mekong River and in responding to water resource security, environmental protection and nuclear safety, he said.

Regarding sea issues, President Quang asserted Việt Nam’s consistent stance of persistently addressing the dispute in the East Sea by peaceful measures on the basis of international law, including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea 1982 and with respect to diplomatic and legal processes.

He asked that both sides implement agreements and commitments, in particular on the basic principles guiding the settlement of issues at sea; soundly manage the dispute and not take any action to complicate and expand it; tackle fisheries problems and fishing operations; hasten the negotiating mechanisms on sea issues; fully and efficiently implement the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC), and strive to work together with ASEAN to accomplish a Code of Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (COC) in 2017.

At the end of the talks, Presidents Quang and Xi witnessed the signing of five co-operative documents covering economic and technological co-operation between the two Governments; increased co-operation between their two Foreign Ministries; e-commerce co-operation between the two Industry and Trade Ministries; co-operation in 2017-20 between the Hồ Chí Minh National Politics Academy and the Party School of the Communist Party of China; and a government soft loan supplementing the Hà Nội-Hà Đông metropolis railway project.

The Presidents and their spouses visited an exhibit at the Great Hall of the People displaying photos of Việt Nam taken by Chinese photographers. Party General Secretary and President Xi hosted a banquet in honor of President Trần Đại Quang, his spouse and the Vietnamese delegation.

Front cooperation

The Vietnamese Party and Government highly evaluate the ties formed between the Việt Nam Fatherland Front and the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), stated President Trần Đại Quang.

He made the remark at a meeting with CPPCC Vice Chairman Wang Jiarui in Beijing on the same day.

President Quang stressed that people-to-people exchange is an important channel for Việt Nam and China to boost constructive co-operation and resolve outstanding issues satisfactorily.

Lauding Wang Jiarui’s long-time support for the Việt Nam-China comprehensive strategic co-operative partnership, he expected the Chinese official to continue his contributions to increasing exchanges and mutual understanding between the two organisations and people.

Wang Jiarui affirmed that the Chinese Party, Government and people treasure the traditional friendship and partnership with Việt Nam and that he will spare no effort to foster amity between Vietnamese and Chinese people. — VNS