Vietnamese Ambassador to China Dang Minh Khoi has said Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong’s visit to China from January 12-15 is of great significance to bilateral ties in the new period. 

In an interview granted to Vietnam News Agency in Beijing on the occasion of the visit, the Ambassador noted that it is the first time the Party leader has visited China since the 12th National Party Congress early last year, but his third one to China as General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam.  

According to the diplomat, Vietnam-China ties have thrived across the fields from politics, economy and culture to people-to-people exchange over the past years, thanks to efforts of both sides. The two countries have also increased discussions on how to maintain peace and stability in the East Sea. 

He expressed hope that the visit would create a new driving force to further boost ties between the two Parties and nations, along with favourable conditions to increase visits and exchanges between their senior officials this year. 

The most important thing in the relations between the two Parties and countries is how to constantly consolidate the traditional friendly neighbourliness and enhance political trust, which is also the overall aim of the current visit of General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, Ambassador Khoi said. 

He pointed out that as trade and economic ties between the two countries are growing strongly and in a more balanced manner, the visit is also meant to further enhance those ties, especially when Vietnam has entered the second year of implementing the Resolution adopted by the 12th National Party Congress and China is in the last year of preparing for the 19th National Party Congress. 

Besides, the visit is a chance to foster people-to-people exchanges which have become more regular over the past years, the ambassador said, adding that during the stay, the Party leader will attend a banquet celebrating the 67th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic ties and meet Chinese scholars to convey to them the wish of the Vietnamese Party and State to further increase people-to-people exchange between the two countries. 

Amid rapid and complicated developments in the global and regional situation, Khoi hoped that the visit would contribute to maintaining peace and stability in the East Sea for the sake of the region and the world, thus creating a favourable environment for economic development. 

The ambassador especially highlighted the strong developments in bilateral ties during the past year. Immediately after Vietnam successfully organised the 12th National Party Congress, Party General Secretary and President of China Xi Jinping cabled a message of congratulations in which he expressed wish to further reinforce ties between the two Parties and countries. 

Hoang Binh Quan, special envoy of the Vietnamese Party chief, made a visit to China after the congress, and conveyed General Secretary Trong’s wish to further boost the comprehensive partnership with China.

The ambassador said that leaders at the highest level of both Parties, countries and governments share the wish to further promote bilateral relations on the basis of the understanding that the two countries are first of all neighbours and a stable and friendly relationship is very important and beneficial to both sides. 

The two countries also share similarities in institutions, guidelines and policies, and both are persistently committed to the communist party’s leadership and national development goals.  

According to the diplomat, due to the characteristics of ties between the two Parties and countries, visits and meetings between the highest leaders of the two parties and countries are important in defining the orientation for bilateral ties across the field. 

Therefore, this visit of General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong is expected to give a boost to bilateral ties in 2017 and beyond, Khoi said.

VNA