The meeting was in the framework of the state visit to China by Party General Secretary and State President To Lam and his spouse.
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Gen. Phan Van Giang and Sr. Lt. Gen. Dong Jun |
At the meeting, General Giang underlined that the first state visit to China by Party and State leader To Lam after being elected as the General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee demonstrated the great importance and top priority that Vietnam attaches and gives to the development of the friendly and cooperative ties with China in its foreign policy.
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Minister Phan Van Giang speaks at the meeting. |
The Vietnamese minister expressed his belief that the visit would contribute to elevating the two countries’ relations to a new height to become more intensive and practical and strengthening their comradeship and brotherhood.
Gen. Giang confirmed that the Party and State of Vietnam consider developing relations with China an objective requirement, a strategic choice, and a top priority in Vietnam's foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, diversification, and multilateralization of relations.
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Delegates from the Ministry of National Defense of Vietnam |
He said that over the past time, the relationship between the two parties and states has maintained positive momentum. Through high-level visits, the two parties and states’ senior leaders have reached many important common perceptions, established a “new positioning” for bilateral relations, elevated the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership, and built a Vietnam-China community with a shared future that carries strategic significance with six major directions, including “more substantive defense and security cooperation.”
Moreover, in realization of the common perceptions of the two sides’ senior leaders, the bilateral defense cooperation has been promoted in a more intensive manner, showing a more “substantive” nature. Highlights included the successful organization of the eighth Vietnam-China Border Defense Friendship Exchange in April 2024, all-level delegation exchanges, education and training cooperation, cooperation between arms and services, between coast guard forces, and in border management, joint research, and academic exchanges.
Gen. Giang also emphasized the Vietnam visit by the delegation of families of former advisors, military experts, leaders and medical staff of China’s Nan Xishan Hospital on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the Dien Bien Phu Victory (May 7, 1954 - 2024), during which they exchanged photos, reminisced about touching memories and close-knit ties between the two sides.
Regarding future cooperation, Minister Giang stressed that the Central Military Commission and the Ministry of National Defense of Vietnam are willing to join hands with the Chinese counterparts to continue strengthening and developing cooperation contents that both sides have been carrying out and at the same time research and expand cooperation into new potential fields of mutual interest, particularly defense industry, education and training, Party and political work.
For his part, Sr. Lt. Gen. Dong Jun emphasized that enhancing defense ties between the two countries holds significant strategic importance. Thus, the two sides should pay attention to promoting cooperation in Party and political work, and land and sea border management.
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Minister Dong Jun speaks at the event. |
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Delegates from the Ministry of National Defense of China |
According to the Chinese minister, in the coming time, China and Vietnam should further foster practical cooperation between the two militaries in all fields, with more exchanges and contacts, thereby boosting understanding between the two militaries and peoples.
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Minister Dong Jun presents a souvenir to his Vietnamese counterpart Phan Van Giang. |
Gen. Giang took this occasion to invite leaders of the Central Military Commission, the minister, and leaders of the Ministry of National Defense of China to attend the 80th founding anniversary of the Vietnam People's Army and the second Vietnam International Defense Expo, slated for December this year.
By Pham Kien from Beijing, China
Translated by Mai Huong