May 30, 2020 | 19:12 (GMT+7)
Vietnam, China strengthen bilateral cooperation
PANO – Deputy Foreign Minister Le Hoai Trung, Vietnam’s General Secretary of the Steering Committee for the Vietnam-China Bilateral Cooperation, held an online conference on May 29 with Chinese General Secretary-Deputy Foreign Minister Luo Zhaohui, to exchange approaches to strengthen bilateral relations after containing the COVID-19 pandemic.
The two sides updated each other on their COVID-19 prevention and control as well as measures to minimize imported COVID-19 cases and resume socio-economic activities after the outbreak. They valued the mutual support and assistance for each other in the fight against the pandemic.
The two sides noted that although a number of bilateral exchange and cooperation activities had been affected by the pandemic, their impacts were only temporary. They agreed that Vietnam-China relations have remained positive, as seen in high-level discussions, and two-way bilateral trade has been maintained.
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Deputy Foreign Minister Le Hoai Trung |
The two officials discussed specific measures to increase result-oriented cooperation and some major orientations including maintaining all-level exchanges and contacts in flexible forms, and maximizing the overall coordinating role of the Steering Committee for Vietnam-China Bilateral Cooperation in enhancing partnerships between sectors and localities in different fields of the two sides.
Deputy FM Trung asked the Chinese side to continue facilitating and coordinating with Vietnam to accelerate customs clearance for goods at land border gates.
The two sides agreed to continue discussing their coordination in managing border areas and organizing activities to mark the 20th anniversary of the signing of the Vietnam-China Land Border Treaty, the 10th years of implementing three legal documents on the shared land border. They also agreed to conduct joint border patrols in accordance with the Agreement on Vietnam - China land border management regulations and the Protocol on land border demarcation and marker plantation at a suitable time.
The two sides sincerely and candidly discussed maritime issues. They reached an agreement on making use of existing negotiation mechanisms for substantive outcomes.
Deputy FM Trung voiced Vietnam’s concern about the recent complicated developments in the East Sea and its stance on its legitimate rights and interests in accordance with international law and the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.
He urged that the two sides should promote cooperation and solve disputes in the spirit of respecting each other’s legitimate rights and interests, agreed-upon agreements, and common perceptions of both sides and international law.
Translated by Lam Anh