Chinese Party General Secretary, President Xi Jinping (right) welcomes Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc on Thursday. — VNA/VNS Photo

BEIJING — Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc met with General Secretary of the Communist Party and President of China Xi Jinping in Beijing on Thursday. 

PM Phúc, who is in Beijing to attend the second Belt and Road Forum for International Co-operation, conveyed regards from General Secretary of the Communist Party of Việt Nam, President Nguyễn Phú Trọng to the Chinese leader. 

The Vietnamese leader congratulated China on its achievements in national construction, and said he hoped the second Belt and Road Forum would be a success. 

PM Phúc said he appreciated the recent development of ties between the two countries and parties and took the occasion to say that Việt Nam follows the external policy of independence, peace, co-operation and development. He also said the nation attached importance to promoting stable and sustainable development of the Việt Nam-China comprehensive strategic co-operative partnership. 

Việt Nam welcomed and supported the Belt and Road initiative based on ensuring the principles of peaceful, win-win co-operation, mutual respect and adherence to international law to contribute to common development and prosperity of all countries, the PM said.

He proposed Việt Nam and China increase the exchange of high-level visits, bolster exchanges and co-operation between their sectors and administrations at all levels, make effective use of existing co-operative mechanisms from central to local levels and focus their guidance on the prompt settlement of difficulties to implement high-level agreements reached between the two parties and countries.

PM Phúc also called for promoting result-oriented co-operation in the fields of diplomacy and national defence and security, expanding people-to-people and youth exchanges, orientating public opinion and the media and organising activities to mark the 70th founding anniversary of Việt Nam - China diplomatic relations.

He urged the two sides to improve the effectiveness of economic co-operation and said he appreciated bilateral joint efforts to open markets for better trade balance, and said China was welcome to carry out big projects using advanced and environmentally friendly technology in Việt Nam. 

The Vietnamese PM suggested the two countries enhance collaboration in managing and sustainably using the water resources of the Mekong River and other rivers the nations share. He also recommended extending the bilateral agreement on the sea fishing, working together to monitor nuclear safety and continuing to co-ordinate to implement the three documents on the Việt Nam - China land border.

Regarding sea issues, PM Phúc said the two sides should continue to adhere to the common perception and agreements of high-ranking leaders of the two parties and countries and the Việt Nam-China agreement on basic principles guiding the settlement of issues at sea, while addressing issues by peaceful measures in line with international law towards the demarcation of waters off the mouth of the Tonkin Gulf in 2020.

He also held that the two sides should implement the Declaration on the Conduct of the Parties in the East Sea (DOC), and push forward negotiations on the building of a binding Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC) in order to maintain peace and stability in the waters.

Party General Secretary, President of China Xi Jinping welcomed PM Phúc and the Vietnamese delegation to the second Belt and Road Forum, saying their attendance demonstrated the importance that the Vietnamese Party and State attach to the China - Việt Nam ties and would contribute to the success of the forum. 

Xi Jinping said the Chinese Party and State attached importance to the relationship with Việt Nam and were of the same mind with Việt Nam on maintaining high-level meetings, enhancing political trust, promoting substantive co-operation, expanding exchanges, strengthening the traditional friendship and controlling differences to ensure the stable development of ties.

China supported Việt Nam in promoting its role in multilateral mechanisms, particularly Việt Nam’s role as chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in 2020, he said.

The same day, PM Phúc also met with Wang Huning, member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau and member of the Secretariat of the Communist Party of China (CPC) in Beijing.

The Vietnamese PM said the Communist Party of Việt Nam and the CPC have set up effective and diversified co-operation mechanisms.

Ties and exchanges between the National Assembly of Việt Nam and the National People’s Congress of China as well as between the Việt Nam Fatherland Front and the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, and between important ministries and sectors such as defence, public security and foreign affairs, have been increased, he said.

The development of bilateral collaboration in the fields of economy, trade, investment and tourism has become a highlight in Việt Nam - China relations, PM Phúc said.

He said co-operation between Vietnamese and Chinese localities, especially those along the shared border, has been strengthened.

The sharing of experience in national construction, development and Party building is of the utmost importance, he said.

Wang said the Chinese Party and State also attach importance to relations with Việt Nam and agreed to work with the Southeast Asian country to maintain high-level meetings, increase political trust and promote co-operation in various fields, including through the Party channel

Optimal conditions for business

The Vietnamese Government will work to create optimal conditions for foreign businesses, including those from China, to invest in Việt Nam, PM Phúc said.

PM Phúc made the pledge during his meetings with representatives of leading Chinese and world businesses in the fields of infrastructure, energy and finance-technology-telecommunications.

PM Phúc said Việt Nam has great demands for the development of infrastructure, energy, technology and finance-banking. Việt Nam and China have substantial potential for commercial collaboration and each is a big, important market for the other.

Việt Nam has become an attractive destination for global investors, attracting 28,000 projects worth more than US$350 billion from 130 countries and territories, PM Phúc said. 
He said he valued quality projects by Chinese investors in Việt Nam. However, the leader said, the implementation of some projects, including those in steel production and railway building, has remained sluggish. 
With a small-scale economy, Việt Nam needs more resources from the private sector, domestic and foreign enterprises under the public-private partnership (PPP) model and other investment forms, including projects within the “Two Corridors, One Belt” and “Belt and Road” initiatives, PM Phúc said.
This is an opportunity for China’s investment projects, he said, noting that Việt Nam considers infrastructure development a strategic breakthrough but the country still needs investments in road, railway and airport infrastructure.
The PM said Việt Nam wants to mobilise resources for the energy sector, particularly for clean energy projects, under the PPP form.
PM Phúc expressed his hope that Chinese technology and telecommunications companies will step up their production in Việt Nam instead of just supplying equipment, components and spare parts.

He also expressed his support for further co-operation between the China Development Bank and Việt Nam’s aviation firms to increase the number and quality of direct flights between the two countries.

Many Chinese enterprises are in the world’s 500 largest companies, operating in the fields of railway, construction, industrial park, production of electricity and electrical equipment, insurance, telecommunications and technology. Renowned names include Alibaba, Huawei, ZTE, China Railway Construction Corporation Limited, China Energy Development Holdings Limited, China Development Bank and Ping An Insurance, many of which have poured investment into Việt Nam.

At the meetings, Chinese corporations expressed their impression with Việt Nam’s recent robust economic development, saying this is a golden opportunity for foreign investors, including those from China, to boost investment in infrastructure, energy, telecommunications and finance in the country.
Telecommunications firms said they were impressed by Việt Nam’s IT and telecoms development. They spoke highly of the Vietnamese Government’s policy to promote the digital economy, the Fourth Industrial Revolution and 5G technology, and said that they want to join efforts to implement the policy.

The same day, PM Phúc witnessed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding on strategic co-operation between TH True Milk of Việt Nam and Wuxi Jinqiao International Food City of China in market development and consumption of dairy products.  — VNS