VietNamNet Bridge – Vietnamese President Truong Tan Sang yesterday, June 19, started a three-day state visit to China at the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping.

President Truong Tan Sang (right) and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping review the honour guards of the Chinese People's Liberation Army.

Following a welcome ceremony at the highest level for a state leader, the Vietnamese and Chinese Presidents held talks in a friendly, straightforward and open atmosphere.

The two Presidents reviewed the bilateral ties over the past years in all fields, and exchanged opinions in depth on directions and major measures to further develop the neighbourly friendship and the comprehensive strategic co-operative partnership between the two countries.

President Xi Jinping said China attached great importance to the visit by President Sang and expressed his belief that the visit would create a new momentum for the relationship between the two countries, enhance mutual understanding and trust, as well as mutually beneficial co-operation between the two parties and nations, and the friendship between the two peoples.

He affirmed that China treasured friendship and co-operation with Viet Nam and stressed that the traditional friendship and co-operation between Viet Nam and China, which had been nurtured by leaders of both countries, was a precious asset to both parties and nations, and the two sides should inherit and promote it.

For his part, President Sang expressed thanks to the Chinese leaders and people for the warm respectful welcome for the Vietnamese delegation. On behalf of the Vietnamese Party, State and people, the President congratulated China on the success of the 18th National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party in late 2012 and the first session of the 12th National People's Congress and the People's Political Consultative Congress in March, which elected the new Party and State leadership of China and mapped out major policies and orientations for the country's development.

President Sang conveyed best regards from Viet Nam's Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong to Party General Secretary and President Xi Jinping and other Chinese leaders.

He reiterated the Vietnamese Party, State and people's basic, consistent and long-standing policy of treasuring friendly neighbourliness and comprehensive co-operation with China. The Vietnamese Party, State and people were willing to make efforts together with the Chinese Party, State and people to lift the Viet Nam-China comprehensive strategic co-operative partnership to a new height.

Regarding bilateral relations, the two sides were pleased to note new steps of development in the ties between the two Parties and two countries. They expressed pleasure at and spoke highly of the signing of an action programme to implement the Viet Nam-China strategic co-operative partnership and many other important co-operation documents during the visit.

President Truong Tan Sang and Chinese President Xi Jinping witness the signing ceremony for the border defence co-operation agreement between the two countries' ministries of national defence.

The two sides agreed on the need to further deepen the political trust between the two Parties and two countries; increase high-level visits and contacts; continue accelerating exchanges; effectively implement co-operation contents and agreements between Party agencies, ministries and agencies and localities of the two sides; and boost the exchange between mass organisations, especially those of young people, in order to strengthen education about the friendship and mutual understanding between the two peoples. The two sides needed to perfect and bring into full play the important role of bilateral co-operation mechanisms, especially the Steering Committee for Viet Nam-China Bilateral Cooperation, and push their practical co-operation to make new progress.

The two sides agreed to boost mutually beneficial co-operation in all fields of economics, trade, culture, sports, tourism, education, health care, and science and technology, with a view to constantly enriching the content of the comprehensive strategic co-operative partnership between Viet Nam and China.

President Sang suggested that the two sides should instruct their ministries and sectors to grasp thoroughly, and to effectively deploy, the contents of co-operation agreements inked previously and on the occasion of this visit, to continuously improve the quality of co-operation in the trade and economic fields and co-ordinate effective and drastic measures to maintain the stable growth of bilateral trade while reducing Viet Nam's trade deficit, striving to raise two-way trade to US$60 billion by 2015.

President Sang welcomed and hoped that China would invest in major projects in infrastructure construction, manufacturing, and support industries with modern and advanced technology in Viet Nam.

The two sides welcomed the signing of a revised agreement on border defence co-operation and the working statutes of the Viet Nam-China Joint Committee on land border gate management on the occasion of President Sang's visit. They said these agreements would increase the efficiency of management co-operation and co-ordination between the two sides, maintaining security and order and facilitating exchanges and trade activities between the two peoples at border areas, contributing to building a joint border line of peace, stability, co-operation and development.

The two sides also discussed in a straightforward manner and agreed to maintain regular exchanges and dialogues on sea issues and seriously carry out the Viet Nam-China agreement on basic principles guiding the settlement of sea-related issues.

They agreed on settling disputes by peaceful measures based on international law, seeking basic and long-term solutions acceptable to both sides and solving arising issues satisfactorily, not letting them affect the healthy development of the two countries' relations as well as peace and stability in the East Sea.

The two sides agreed to implement comprehensively and effectively the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC), as well as work together to maintain peace and stability in the East Sea.

In the time to come, the two sides will actively carry out agreed projects relating to less sensitive fields at sea.

President Sang laid special emphasis on the issue of fishing which is closely related to the livelihood and interests of millions of Vietnamese fishermen. He asked that the two sides strengthen co-ordination to solve this issue satisfactorily to ensure fishermen's legitimate rights and interests.

The President suggested that the Vietnamese Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the Chinese Ministry of Agriculture co-ordinate closely to implement effectively an agreement on the establishment of a hotline dealing with unexpectedly arising matters relating to sea fishing, which was also signed on this occasion.

The two leaders also agreed that their countries needed to intensify co-ordination at multilateral forums, including the United Nations, World Trade Organisation (WTO), Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Forum, Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM), ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), ASEAN-China Summit, East Asia Summit (EAS) and ASEAN Summit plus China, Japan and the Republic of Korea (ASEAN+3), as well as work together to maintain peace, stability and prosperity in the region and the world.

On the occasion, President Sang invited Chinese President Xi Jinping and other high-ranking Chinese leaders to visit Vietnam soon. President Xi Jinping accepted the invitation with pleasure, and invited Vietnamese General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and high-ranking Vietnamese leaders to visit China at an appropriate time.

After the talks, the two Presidents witnessed the signing of several co-operative documents, including:

° a joint plan of action between Governments of Viet Nam and China on implementing the Viet Nam-China comprehensive strategic co-operative partnership.

° a border defence co-operation agreement between the two Ministries of Defence.

° an agreement between Viet Nam's Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) and China's Ministry of Agriculture on the establishment of a hotline on unexpected incidences in fishing operations at sea.

° a framework agreement between the two governments on China 's provision of preferential credit worth 320 million RMB for Viet Nam's railway information system.

° a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the two Governments on establishing a cultural centre in each country.

° the working statutes of the Viet Nam-China Joint Committee on Land Border Gate Management.

° an agreement between MARD and China's General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine on co-operation in the field of animal and plant quarantine in import-export.

° a co-operation plan between the Viet Nam Union of Friendship Organisations and China 's People's External Friendship Association in the 2013-2017 period.

° an agreement on preferential buyer's credit worth $45 million for the Ninh Binh Fine Coal-based Urea Plant project.

° the 4th amendment to an agreement between Viet Nam Oil and Gas Corporation (PetroVietnam) and China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC) on the joint exploration in agreed offshore areas in the Gulf of Tonkin.

Source: VNS