Hanoi (VNA) – Theupcoming visit to China of Party GeneralSecretary Nguyen Phu Trong from January 12-15 is aimed at further strengtheningthe Vietnam-China ties and defining the long-term direction for the healthy andstable development of bilateral relations future.

The visit, to be made at theinvitation of Party General Secretary and President of China Xi Jinping, ishoped to create strong changes and improve the efficiency of bilateralcooperation in all fields, especially in economic links, thus bringingpractical benefits to both nations’ development.

Stable trend in bilateral relations

The visit takes place at atime when the overall Vietnam-China ties are stable with certain progress made inseveral fields.

The two nations maintained high-level visits and meetings in various forms,contributing to enhancing political trust and promoting cooperation.

It is noteworthy that leaders of the two Parties and States reached commonperceptions and consensus on promoting the bilateral ties during the officialvisit to China made by Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong in April 2015and the State-level visit to Vietnam made by Chinese Party General Secretaryand President Xi Jinping in November 2015.
 
The two parties have also expanded their exchange activities such as exchangeof high-level visits and organisation of annual theoretical conferences andpersonnel training courses. They signed a cooperation agreement between the twoparties and a training cooperation agreement for the 2016-2020 period.

The two countries arestepping up the implementation of their Action Plan for Comprehensive StrategicCooperation Partnership, including the establishment of working groups oncooperation in infrastructure, cooperation for mutual development at sea, and finance– monetary.

The Steering Committee for Vietnam-China Cooperation, which was set up inNovember 2006, has so far convened nine sessions.

Ties between key ministries and sectors of the two countries recorded positivedevelopment. A hotline between the two Ministries of Defence was established,while regular joint activities have been held by the two border forces andcoast guards. Naval ships of the two countries have also made mutual visits.

The two countries are working together in peace-keeping activities of theUnited Nations, as well as in fighting crimes and ensuring security and safetyfor agencies, enterprises and citizens of China in Vietnam and vice versa.

The Chinese side has responded positively to Vietnam’s requests of support,such as increasing the flow of water discharge from its Jinghong dam to helpVietnam overcome prolonged drought and saline intrusion in the Mekong Deltaregion, and in search and rescue efforts when a CASA-212 plane of the VietnameseCoast Guard had an accident in the Bac Bo (Tonkin) Gulf.  

Promoting result-orientedand effective cooperation

China has always been Vietnam’sleading trade partner while Vietnam is currently the sixth largest exportmarket and the 11th largest import market of China.

Two-way trade reached 66.6billion USD in 2015 and 57.6 billion USD in the first ten months of 2016, representingyear-on-year increases of 13.7 percent and 5 percent, respectively.  

The two countries have setthe goal of 100 billion USD in two-way trade value.

In term of investment, byOctober 2016, China (excluding Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macau) had 1,522 investmentprojects worth over 10 billion USD in Vietnam, ranking ninth among 116countries and territories investing in Vietnam. Chinese projects mainly focuson processing and manufacturing industries, electricity, gas and water. TheChinese side is seeking stronger production capacity and cross-border economiccooperation.

Since 1993, China has providedapproximately 800 million USD in non-refundable aid and preferential credit capitalVietnam in more than 30 programmes.  

Vietnam and China have also cooperated effectively in education, culture, sport,tourism. The two sides are implementing their cultural cooperation agreementfor 2016-2018 and a deal on building cultural centres in each other’scountries.

As of April 2016, over 10,000Vietnamese students were attending schools in China while about 4,000 Chinese studentswere studying in Vietnam. China also helps Vietnam in sport training.

China ranked first in thenumber of tourists to Vietnam. In 2015, about 1.78 million Chineseholiday-makers visited Vietnam and 2.1 million Vietnamese travelled to China. Thenumber of Chinese arrivals in Vietnam grew 55.2 percent year on year in thefirst 10 months of 2016 to more than 2.2 million. Many direct air services havebeen opened between the two countries.

People-to-people exchange andcooperation between localities of the two nations are booming, contributing toenhancing mutual understanding between the two peoples. A total of 16 Vietnam-Chineyouth friendship meetings have been arranged so far.

Orientation for healthylong-term development of ties

The two sides held the sixth session of the Vietnam-ChinaLand Border Joint Committee in January 2016 anda conference in May the same year to review the five-year implementationof the protocol on border demarcation and marker planting, the agreement on bordermanagement regulations, and the agreement on border gates and land border gatemanagement regulations.

They also organised the 12th joint fishery patrol in the Tonkin Gulf inNovember last year.

Regarding the East Sea issue, high-ranking officials of the two parties andcountries have held many discussions and reached important common perception onthe resolution of differences and disputes in the East Sea on the basis ofrespect for legitimate interest of each other and in line with international law.

The two sides agreed to well implement common perceptions and agreementsreached by high-ranking leaders of the two countries, especially the “Vietnam-Chinaagreement on basic principlesguiding the settlement of sea issues”, and use effectively the Government-levelnegotiation mechanism on border and territory between the two nations.

They also consented to pursuefriendship talks and negotiations seek long-term fundamental solutions acceptablefor both sides, while well controlling disputes at sea, avoiding actions thatfurther complicate or extend disputes, fully and effectively implementing theDeclaration on the Conduct of Parties on the East Sea, working towards an earlycompletion of a Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC), and settling disputes bypeaceful measures in line with the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law ofthe Sea (UNCLOS).

The two countries completed ajoint field survey in the waters beyond the mouth of the Tonkin Gulf in April2016,  and conducted the 9th negotiation of the working group on cooperation in less sensitive marine issues in China in November last year.-VNA