Vietnamese, Chinese prime ministers meet in Manila

On November 13, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc had a meeting with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang immediately after the 31st ASEAN Summit concluded a plenary session in Manila, the Philippines.

PM Phuc congratulated Premier Li on the successful 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and his re-election as member of the CPC’s Politburo Standing Committee.

He hailed progress in bilateral relations, especially the maintenance of regular meetings between their leaders. 

During the freshly-concluded State visit to Vietnam and his attendance in the APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting in Da Nang by CPC General Secretary and President Xi Jinping, both sides reached important common perceptions on promoting the Vietnam-China comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership in a stable, healthy and sustainable manner, the PM said, adding that Vietnam respects the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership with China.

He suggested ministries, sectors and localities of the two countries to coordinate closely to increse cooperation effectiveness and bilateral trade and take effective measures to bolster the balanced and healthy growth of their trade.

China should continue facilitating the import of goods of Vietnam's strength  particularly agro-forestry-fishery products. It should also ensure the progress and quality of China’s investment projects in Vietnam while encouraging Chinese businesses to intensify investing in hi-tech projects in Vietnam, PM Phuc said.

He also called on China to boost ties in finance, agriculture, environment, transport, and science-technology while asking both sides to connect the “Two Corridors and One Economic Belt” framework and the “Belt and Road” initiative well.

Reagarding sea-related issues, the Vietnamese cabinet leader praised ASEAN and China’s consensus on a framework of a Code of Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (COC). He also lauded the two countries’ effective cooperation in less sensitive sea-related fields and the release of fishery resources into the Tonkin Gulf.

PM Phuc urged both countries to obey important common perceptions reached by their Party and State leaders and the agreement on basic principles guiding the settlement of sea-related issues. 

He underlined the need for Vietnam and China to persist in settling disputes by peaceful means, in accordance with international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). They also need to  expedite substantive negotiations to build a valid and effective Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC), control disagreements well, and maintain peace and stability in the East Sea.

For his part, Premier Li congratulated Vietnam on successfully hosting the 2017 APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting while affirming that the Chinese Party, State and people attach great importance to the consolidation and development of the friendship and comprehensive cooperation with Vietnam.

The two sides need to thoroughly grasp the sound development orientation for China-Vietnam relations, intensify high-level meetings to discuss strategies and major issues in bilateral ties, and continue deepening cooperation in all field for mutual benefits.

Premier Li agreed with PM Phuc about the need for China to take measures to promote balanced trade and continue facilitating the import of Vietnamese goods into China.

Concerning sea-related matters, he said the two nations need to properly implement the reached common perceptions, manage and control disagreements well, maintain peace and stability at sea and the overall situation of the two countries’ relations, thereby bringing about practical benefits for the two peoples.

At the meeting, PM Phuc invited Premier Li to visit Vietnam in the near future and his invitation was accepted with pleasure.