Vietnam, China issue joint statement

General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee Nguyen Phu Trong (R) and General Secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and State President Xi Jinping

The document was issued on the occasion of the State visit to Vietnam made by General Secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and State President Xi Jinping and his attendance at the 25th APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting from November 10-13.

During the visit, Xi held talks with General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee Nguyen Phu Trong and President Tran Dai Quang, and met with Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan.

The two sides informed each other of the respective situation of their Party and State, exchanged views on bilateral relations and regional and international issues of shared concern, and reached common perceptions on deepening the Vietnam-China comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership in the new circumstances.

They pledged to work together, thoroughly grasp major orientations guiding the development of the bilateral ties, intensify strategic exchanges and political trust, deepen win-win cooperation, and deal with disagreements satisfactorily, step up the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership to grow healthily and stably, so to generate concrete benefits for their people and actively contribute to peace, stability and prosperity in the region.

They agreed that Vietnam and China are important neighbours and cooperative partners. As both are in a key phase of development reforms, the development of this country is the opportunity of the other.

Therefore, the two countries need to promote the coordinating role of cooperative mechanisms, like the meeting of representatives of the two Political Bureaus and the Steering Committee on Bilateral Cooperation, giving priority to intensifying the sharing of experience in State management, strengthening exchanges via the Party channel, and cooperation between the Vietnamese National Assembly and the National People’s Congress of China, and between the Vietnam Fatherland Front and the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference.

Vietnam and China committed to well implementing an agreement on stepping up collaboration in the new situation between the two Foreign Ministries, maintaining meetings between the ministries’ leaders, as well as annual diplomatic consultation.

They also reached a consensus on strengthening cooperation in defence, security and law enforcement, well implementing the declaration on joint vision on defence cooperation by 2025, using the hotline between the two Defence Ministries effectively, organising border defence exchanges and strategic defence dialogues as well as joint patrols in the Gulf of Tonkin, and exerting efforts to make the China-Vietnam extradition treaty become effective soon.

Both sides vowed to apply efficient measures to boost cooperation for practical progress to be made in economy, trade, production capacity, investment, infrastructure, and monetary-finance.

Vietnam welcomes and supports the implementation of the “One Belt, One Road” initiative to boost win-win cooperation and economic linkages between countries as well as regional connectivity in order to contribute to peace, stability, development, and prosperity in the region and the world.

The two sides were unanimous in sharing information about investment policies, working to improve the investment climate, and boosting investment suitable to each other’s demand and sustainable development strategy. China encourages its leading enterprises to invest in Vietnam.

They committed to well implementing the five-year development plan on economic and trade cooperation during 2017-2021 together with signing and deploying key cooperative projects.

They agreed to promote the role of the Vietnam-China Committee on Economic and Trade Cooperation and related cooperative mechanisms. China is willing to expand imports from Vietnam, giving priority to carrying out the assessment of market entry requirements for milk and milk products from Vietnam, speed up the completion of legal procedures and the opening of market for several kinds of Vietnamese fruits, and intensify cooperation in agriculture, fisheries and forestry, including rice and cassava.

They also vowed to utilise the mechanism of the working group on financial-monetary cooperation, continue considering the use of local currency in bilateral trade and investment, intensify the exchange of experience in monetary policy and financial stability, and continue supporting each other’s financial institutions to undertake their related performances in line with law. The Chinese side will create favourable conditions for the Vietnamese side to gain access to its preferential loans and other loans in compliance with related regulations.

Vietnam and China agreed to promote cooperation in agriculture, water resources, the environment, science and technology, and transport.

The two sides will broaden partnership in culture, journalism, healthcare, and people-to-people exchange.

They agreed to promote a sincere and frank exchange of views on issues at sea and continue observing important common understanding reached by leaders of the two Parties and States and “the Vietnam-China agreement on basic principles guiding the settlement of sea-related issues”.

The two countries will efficiently employ the government-level negotiation mechanism for territorial and border issues between the two countries and seek a fundamental and long-term solution acceptable to both sides.

They agreed to well implement follow-up work after their joint survey of the waters off the mouth of the Gulf of Tonkin while accelerating negotiations on the delineation of the waters off the mouth of the Gulf of Tonkin and fostering cooperation for mutual development in the waters. They will also continue to promote the efforts of the working group on cooperation for development at sea and step up joint projects in less-sensitive fields as previously agreed.

The two sides highly appreciated activities involving the release of aquatic creatures and the protection of marine resources in the Gulf of Tonkin.

The two sides consented to fully and effectively implement the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) and work towards the early formation of a Code of Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (COC) on the basis of consensus consultation, effectively managing maritime disputes and avoiding actions that would further complicate or expand the disputes for the maintenance of peace and stability in the East Sea.

Vietnam affirmed to consistently pursue the one-China policy and support the peaceful development of Cross-Strait relations and China’s great cause of unification.

Both sides agreed to boost cooperation at regional and multilateral frameworks such as the United Nations, the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM), the ASEAN-China, and the Mekong – Lancang Cooperation, thus together maintaining peace, stability and prosperity in the regional and the world.

The two sides agreed that the visit of General Secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and State President Xi Jinping to Vietnam was a success, marking an important milestone in bilateral ties and contributing importantly to enhancing the traditional friendship and deepening the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership between Vietnam and China while promoting peace, stability and development in the region and the globe.