Vietnam-China Steering Committee for Bilateral Cooperation convenes 16th meeting

At the meeting, both sides rejoiced over the comprehensive development of cooperative ties between the two Parties and countries since the 15th meeting held in Hanoi on December 2023.

They held in in-depth discussions and agreed on measures to effectively implement the common perceptions reached by the two nations’ senior leaders to bring the bilateral relations into a new development stage.

The Vietnamese diplomat congratulated China on its tremendous achievements in comprehensive reform and expressed his confidence that, under the leadership of the CPC Central Committee, with Party General Secretary and President Xi Jinping at its core, the Chinese people would successfully achieve the goals of the "Second Centennial."

He reaffirmed that the Vietnamese Party and State place great importance on reinforcing and developing stable, healthy, and sustainable relations with China. This is a consistent principle, an objective requirement, a strategic choice, and a top priority in Vietnam’s foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, multilateralisation and diversification of relations.

In his part, Wang emphasised that his nation always views Vietnam as a priority in its neighborhood diplomacy. He wished and expressed his belief that, under the leadership of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV), led by General Secretary To Lam, Vietnam will achieve its goals, becoming a developed, high-income socialist-oriented country in the new era.

Host and guest acknowledged the positive progress in the Vietnam-China relations in recent times, particularly the enhanced high-level and multi-level exchanges, significant growth in economic, trade, investment, and tourism cooperation, breakthroughs in transport connectivity, and vibrant local and people-to-people exchanges.

Concerning the direction and focus of future exchanges and cooperation, both sides consented to maintain high-level exchanges and step up interactions via the Party channel and between the governments, parliaments, and fronts of Vietnam and China.

They underlined the importance of the overall coordinating role of the Steering Committee for Bilateral Cooperation and agreed to strengthen mechanisms for exchanges and cooperation in diplomacy, defence, security, and between administrations at at all levels, sectors, localities and the people of both countries.

The two sides pledged launch meaningful activities to celebrate the 75th founding anniversary of diplomatic relations and the “Year of Vietnam-China Humanistic Exchange", in 2025 while boosting coordination at multilateral forums.

Son suggested speeding up railway connectivity, prioritising the implementation of three standard-gauge railway lines, namely Lao Cai - Hanoi - Hai Phong; Lang Son - Hanoi; and Mong Cai - Ha Long - Hai Phong.

He also underlined the need to restore the international intermodal rail transport route between the two countries and facilitating flight slots for Vietnamese airlines.

He highlighted the importance of safe operations in the Ban Gioc (Vietnam) - Detian (China) waterfall landscape site and called on China to further open its market for high-quality Vietnamese agricultural products and support the establishment of additional Vietnamese trade promotion offices in several Chinese localities.

Son called for greater efforts to intensify high-quality Chinese investment in Vietnam, effectively carry out Chinese-funded projects, and strengthen cooperation in areas such as agriculture, environmental protection, finance, science and technology, culture, and education. It is essential to explore new areas of cooperation to create fresh growth drivers for the bilateral ties, he stressed.

Hailing Vietnam’s cooperation proposals, Wang affirmed that China treasures the promotion of mutually beneficial collaboration across multiple fields. He assured his country's willingness to bolster imports of high-quality Vietnamese goods, augment cooperation in electricity trading, work together to address challenges in some Chinese-invested projects in Vietnam, and encourage Chinese enterprises to invest in Vietnam in alignment with the strengths and needs of both nations.

Wang asked the two sides to enhance connectivity between their development strategies, cooperate in building stable supply and production chains in the region, further boost collaboration for deeper, more effective progress and elevate the China - Vietnam Comprehensive Strategic Cooperative Partnership to a new height, thus contributing practically to the building of a Vietnam - China community with a shared future that carries strategic significance.

On maritime issues, the two sides engaged in candid discussions and agreed to seriously implement high-level common perceptions, better control and resolve differences, and maintain peace and stability in the East Sea.

The Vietnamese diplomat suggested both sides take the agreement on basic principles guiding the settlement of maritime issues between Vietnam and China, and international law as the foundation.

He called for mutual respect for each other’s sovereignty and legitimate interests, and effective utilization of maritime negotiation mechanisms. He also underscored the importance of ramping up substantive cooperation at sea and properly addressing maritime issues, including matters related to fishing vessels and fishermen, in accordance with international law, especially the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), as well as in the spirit of friendship and the positive development momentum of the bilateral relations between the two Parties and countries.

Son also suggested China, together with ASEAN countries, accelerate negotiations to soon reach an effective and substantive Code of Conduct (COC) in the East Sea.

On this occasion, the two sides exchanged the agreements between the two governments on cooperation in constructing three standard-gauge railway lines of Lao Cai - Hanoi - Hai Phong; Lang Son - Hanoi; and Mong Cai - Ha Long - Hai Phong.
On the same day, Deputy PM and FM Bui Thanh Son and Politburo member and Foreign Minister Wang Yi attended a ceremony to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the signing of the Border Treaty and the 15th anniversary of the signing of three legal documents on the Vietnam-China land border and visited a photo exhibition on the Vietnam-China land border demarcation and marker planting and cooperation.

One day earlier the two sides held the first session of the deputy ministerial-level dialogue between the ministries of foreign Affairs, national defence, and public security within the framework of the Vietnam-China Steering Committee for Bilateral Cooperation.

At the dialogue, the two sides held an in-depth discussion on the international and regional situation, and agreed to maintain regular strategic exchanges, strengthen cooperation in the fields of diplomacy, defence and security, and promote "closer security and defence cooperation" on the basis of conformity with each country's foreign policy, defence and security policy, making practical contributions to peace, cooperation and development in the region and the world.