VietNamNet Bridge – The Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) and the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) signed a memorandum of understanding on cooperation over 2014-2019 in Beijing on February 23.

Both sides stressed the need to popularise the time-honoured friendship between the two countries. (Photo: VNA)

Both sides will make high-level and local reciprocal visits to strengthen cooperation and encourage their agencies to popularize the ties of friendship, neighbourliness and comprehensive cooperation between the two countries.

They will also jointly hold symposiums and share information on issues of mutual concern.

The signing of the MoU took place shortly after talks between Nguyen Thien Nhan, President of the VFF Central Committee, and Yu Zhengsheng, Chairman of the CPPCC Central Committee.

Nhan noted the VFF Central Committee delegation’s visit was made after a China visit by State President Truong Tan Sang and a Vietnam visit by Premier Li Keqiang, demonstrating Vietnam’s consistent policy of further strengthening comprehensive cooperation between the two countries’ Parties, States and peoples.

He expressed pleasure at the fine development of the comprehensive, strategic cooperation partnership between Vietnam and China, as well as effective cooperation between the VFF and the CPPCC in recent times.

As both organisations play an important role in their political sphere, increasing exchanges and cooperation will help them better perform their tasks, so as to realise their top leaders’ common perceptions and boost the partnership.

For his part, Yu said China pursues a friendly and neighbourly policy towards Vietnam,  and considers the latter’s development the former’s development opportunity.

He expressed his belief the CPPCC and the VFF will promote exchanges and cooperation, especially in organising workshops to share experience in supervision and social criticism.

The same day, Nhan made a fact-finding tour of Tianjin city to inquire into the local Political Consultative Conference’s supervising and criticising role.

Tianjin city has established a sister city relationship with Haiphong city. It has 19 operational projects in Vietnam, capitalised at US$50 million. Two-way trade between Tianjin and Vietnamese localities hit US$3 billion in 2013, a year-on-year increase of 75%.

Source: VOV