Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung on June 18 hosted a reception for visiting Chinese State Councillor Yang Jiechi who is in Hanoi for a meeting between the Chairs of the Steering Committee for Bilateral Cooperation between the two countries.

PM Dung said pursuing a consistent external relation policy, the Vietnamese Party, State and people always remember and are grateful for the great support and help of China. He affirmed that Vietnam attaches importance to the maintenance and development of the comprehensive cooperation on an equal and mutually-benefiting basis for mutual development between Vietnam and China.

The PM noted that in particular, during Chinese Premier Li Keqiang’s visit to Vietnam last year, the two sides reached a number of specific agreements to further their cooperation, including the formation of three working groups on cooperation in infrastructure, finance-monetary and discussion for cooperation for mutual development at sea in the framework of the Governmental Negotiation Team on Vietnam-China Boundary and Territory.

Leaders of both countries also agreed that during the search for a basic and long-term solution to sea-related issues, the two sides would work together to keep control of the situation and not make any move that could expand disputes, while promptly and suitably dealing with any arising problems to prevent them from affecting the development cooperation between the two countries, said PM Dung.

Regarding China’s placement of its drilling rig Haiyang Shiyou-981 deep inside Vietnam’s waters, PM Dung reiterated Vietnam’s consistent stance as stated during bilateral communications at different levels over the past time and at the talks earlier on June 18 between Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh and State Councillor Yang Jiechi.

Dung made clear that China’s act seriously violates Vietnam’s sovereignty and the agreements reached between leaders of both countries as well as infringes international law, the 1982 United Nations Conventions on the Law of the Sea and the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties on the East Sea (DOC).

China’s act also threatens peace, stability, security and safety of navigation and aviation in the region, while causing indignation and hurting the sentiments of Vietnamese people, putting negative impacts on the cooperation between the two Parties and countries, stated PM Dung.

PM Dung requested China to withdraw its rig and ships from Vietnam’s waters and join talks for the settlement of disputes and differences between the two countries by peaceful measures in accordance with international law and the common perception of the two countries’ leaders.

The PM added that at the same time, the two sides should control the situation to prevent conflicts while maintaining contact and talks to solve the current disputes.

At the same time, the PM said Vietnam will resolutely struggle to defend its sovereignty by peaceful measures in line with international law.

Regarding the Chinese State Councillor’s opinion on the security and safety of Chinese businesses and citizens, PM Dung said in a number of Vietnamese localities, some people took advantage of rallies protesting China’s illegal placement of its oil rig in Vietnam’s waters to break the law, causing damage to some foreign-invested enterprises including Chinese-invested businesses. The PM affirmed that the incidences are regrettable and undesirable, adding that the Vietnamese government has promptly put an end to the violations, stabilised the situation and strictly punished the law violators while taking timely measures to support the affected businesses. All affected enterprises have resumed normal production and business activities, he said.

For the sake of common interest of both countries, PM Dung said the two sides need to maintain existing cooperation mechanisms and hold the seventh session of the steering committee on bilateral cooperation soon to discuss concrete measures to push forward the cooperation between the two countries, especially in the fields of economics, trade, investment and tourism.

State Councillor Yang Jiechi informed PM Dung about the outcomes of his talks with Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh. He affirmed that the Party, Government and people of China attach importance to and have never changed the motto of friendship in the relations with Vietnam.

Yang Jiechi presented China’s stance on the dispute at sea and voiced agreement that the two sides continue to maintain discussion channels and bilateral contact to solve the current tensions while promoting the existing bilateral cooperation in different fields.

Deputy PM Minh holds talks with Chinese State Councillor

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh and Chinese State Councillor Yang Jiechion June 18 conducted a meeting in Hanoi in their capacity as Chairs of the two countries’ Steering Committee for Bilateral Cooperation.

At the meeting, Deputy PM Minh affirmed that the Party, State, Government and people of Vietnam always place importance to maintaining and strengthening the neighbouring friendship and comprehensive cooperation with China.

He said over the past years, the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership between Vietnam and China has seen developments in both scale and depth as a result of efforts of both sides.

He noted that however, in the context of the fine development of bilateral ties, China ’s placement of its oil rig Haiyang Shiyou-981 deep into the exclusive economic zone and continental shelf of Vietnam has violated international law and the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS-1982). The move also threatens navigation security and safety as well as peace and stability in the region while hurting the Vietnamese people’s sentiments and putting negative impacts on the cooperation between the two countries.

Deputy PM Minh firmly asserted Vietnam ’s sovereignty over Hoang Sa (Paracel) archipelago as well as its sovereign right and jurisdiction over the exclusive economic zone and continental shelf as defined under the UNCLOS-1982 to which both Vietnam and China are members.

The Deputy PM requested that China move its rig and escort ships out of Vietnam ’s waters, control the situation to prevent conflicts and join talks for the settlement of current tensions as well as other differences between the two countries in accordance with international law and the 1982 UNCLOS.

For his part, Chinese State Councillor Yang Jiechi affirmed that the Party, Government and people of China always attach importance to developing their friendship with Vietnam . He agreed that the two sides should work to stabilise the situation at sea, restrain themselves to prevent conflicts and prevent bilateral ties from worsening, while making joint efforts to promote cooperation between the two countries for greater and more substantial developments. At the same time, Yang Jiechi repeated China’s stance on the East Sea.

The two sides affirmed their intention to maintain mechanisms for exchanges and cooperation between ministries, sectors and localities of the two countries while effectively carrying out the plan of action to implement the Vietnam-China comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership and organising the 7th session of the Steering Committee for Bilateral Cooperation.

VNA/VNN