PANO – Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh visited China between June 17th and 19th to participate in the eighth meeting of the Vietnam-China Steering Committee on Bilateral Cooperation.

Deputy PM Pham Binh Minh (L) and Chinese State Councilor Yang Jiechi. Photo: VGP

During the event, co-chaired by Deputy PM Minh and Chinese State Councilor Yang Jiechi, the two sides discussed measures to implement agreements reached during Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong’s visit to China in April 2015 and efficiently carry out an action program on the Vietnam-China comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership in order to further enhance their relationship.

They agreed to maintain regular gatherings between the two countries’ high-level leaders, carry out a cooperation plan for 2016-2020 between the two Parties, and organize several exchanges for people, especially youths, this year. Additionally, they decided on initiatives of priority to strengthen cooperation in diplomacy, defence, security and law enforcement, trade and investment, agriculture, health, transport, and science and technology.

They underlined the importance of effectively using government-level negotiation mechanisms for the Vietnam-China territorial border, using negotiations to seek basic and long-term solutions acceptable for both countries to settle differences at sea, fully implementing the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC), working towards the formation of a Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC), and avoiding any moves that might complicate the situation or disputes so as to maintain the Vietnam-China partnership as well as peace and stability in the East Sea.

Later on, Vietnamese Deputy PM Minh and Chinese State Councilor Yang Jiechi witnessed the signing of the eighth meeting of the Vietnam-China Steering Committee on Bilateral Cooperation.

On June 18th, Vietnamese Deputy PM Minh had talks with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang and Foreign Minister Wang Yi. The Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister stressed that Vietnam has always attached great importance to tightening the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership with China.

Translated by Van Hieu