Beijing (VNA) – Vietnamese Minister of NationalDefence Ngo Xuan Lich met with his Chinese counterpart Chang Wanquan in Beijingon January 13, saying that their ministries’ cooperation has continued to helpbolster the countries’ political trust.

General Lich said since his visit to China inAugust 2016, agencies and units of the two armies have actively implemented theagreements reached between the two ministers then. Their collaboration hascontributed to the stable, healthy and sustainable development of thecountries’ relations.

He hailed the importance of the joint visionstatement on defence cooperation until 2025 between the two defence ministries,which was signed between the ministers in the presence of Chinese Party GeneralSecretary Xi Jinping and Vietnamese Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong,who is currently on an official visit to China.

The signing illustrates the proactive and activeprogress in defence ties, helping to beef up relations between the twocountries and armies while defeating plots or distortions that aim to drive awedge into bilateral ties, he stressed.

The two sides fully implemented cooperationactivities set for 2016 such as the sixth defence strategy dialogue, thenavies’ 21st joint patrol in the Tonkin Gulf, and young officers’ exchanges.

Minister Lich went on to say that 2017 is animportant year for both Vietnam and China with the ongoing official visit toChina by General Secretary Trong and a scheduled visit to Vietnam by PartyGeneral Secretary and President of China Xi on the occasion of the APEC Summit2017.

Those visits hold a significant politicalimportance as they will provide a new momentum for bilateral connections,including in defence, he said, adding that a Vietnam visit by leaders ofChina’s Central Military Commission and Defence Ministry will be ademonstration and also a solid foundation for the countries’ defence relationsto develop further and practically.

For his part, Minister Chang described theirnations’ friendship, nurtured by late Presidents Mao Zedong and Ho Chi Minh, asa precious common asset. He believed that the ongoing official visit by GeneralSecretary Trong will contribute to the two nations’ cooperation and amity.

He asked both sides to comply with theVietnamese and Chinese senior leaders’ common perceptions as reflected in thejoint vision statement on defence cooperation until 2025, thus bringingbilateral relations to a new height.

Also on January 13, Lich, who is also ViceChairman of Vietnam’s Central Military Commission, had a meeting with ViceChairman of China’s Central Military Commission Fan Changlong.

They discussed cooperation measures to build thetwo armies with political firmness which deserve to be the loyal andtrustworthy force of their respective Parties, peoples and nations.

Echoing Lich’s viewpoint, Fan said the twocountries and armies have made strides in their relations, adding that themutual visits by Trong and Xi this year are major landmarks that will liftbilateral ties to the next level.-VNA