The Chinese Defense Minister is on his official visit to Singapore at the invitation of Singaporean Defense Minister Ng Eng Heng.
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Vietnamese Deputy-Defense Minister, Senior-Lieutenant General Nguyen Chi Vinh meeting with Chinese Defense Minister, Senior-Lieutenant General Chang Wanquan |
Speaking at the meeting, the Chinese Defense Minister said that the year of 2017 saw positive developments in the already-good relations between China and Vietnam. The relationship was especially marked by the Vietnamese Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong’s visit to China, and the Chinese Party General Secretary and State President Xi Jinping’s visit to Vietnam.
The Chinese Defense Minister emphasized that the two sides agreed on a number of cooperation contents with the aim of strengthening the Vietnam-China relations in the future, during the two visits. He underscored that the Chinese Party General Secretary and State President’s first foreign trip to Vietnam after the 19th National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party demonstrated that China treasures relations between the two Parties, States and militaries.
He also believed that the relations between the two countries in general and the two militaries in particular will further be bolstered in 2018 as the two sides will successfully realize the agreements reached by leaders of the two countries. He suggested increasing exchanges of delegations to further discuss issues of mutual concern, and deepening the mechanism of the Vietnam-China Border Defense Friendship Exchange.
He noted that the two sides have held four Vietnam-China Border Defense Friendship Exchange programs, of which the latter always had more cooperation activities and contents than the former. According to him, the border friendship exchange mechanism has significantly contributed to promoting bilateral relations between the two Parties, States and militaries, and building a Vietnam-China borderline of peace, security and development, profoundly featuring the viewpoints and aspirations of the top leaders of the two countries and the two peoples. He expressed his hope that the two sides will successfully organize the 5th Vietnam-China Border Defense Friendship Exchange in the coming time.
The Chinese Defense Minister also took the chance to extend his greetings to Vietnamese Defense Minister, General Ngo Xuan Lich.
General Vinh agreed on the ideas and suggestions of the Chinese Defense Minister, saying that the Vietnamese Defense Ministry is actively preparing for the 5th Vietnam-China Border Defense Friendship Exchange. He also revealed that Vietnam has chosen its northern province of Cao Bang for the 2018 exchange as the province was the location where President Ho Chi Minh returned to his homeland country from China in 1941 to lead the Vietnamese revolution to oust the oppression and man-by-man exploitation of feudalism and foreign colonialism.
He said that the program will contain plentiful activities, highlighting historical hallmarks of President Ho Chi Minh and President Mao Zedong.
Regarding bilateral defense ties, General Vinh suggested expanding cooperation between Vietnamese Military Regions 1, 2 and 3, and China’s Southern Theater Command, between Vietnam Defense Academy and China Defense University, and between Vietnamese military schools and Chinese counterparts.
At the meeting, General Vinh also delivered the greetings of Vietnamese Defense Minister, General Ngo Xuan Lich to the Chinese Defense Minister.
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Vietnamese Deputy-Defense Minister, Senior-Lieutenant General Nguyen Chi Vinh meeting with Singaporean Defense Minister Ng Eng Heng. |
On the same day, Vietnamese Deputy-Defense Minister, Senior-Lieutenant General Nguyen Chi Vinh had a meeting with Singaporean Defense Minister Ng Eng Heng.
Speaking at the meeting, the Defense Minister of Singapore, the ASEAN Chair in 2018, highly valued Vietnam’s contribution to ASEAN military-defense cooperation mechanisms.
For his part, General Vinh spoke highly of the good preparation of Singapore in its capacity as the host of ASEAN events and activities in 2018. He affirmed that Vietnam will actively support Singapore to successfully host ASEAN military-defense events in 2018 for the sake of common interests of the bloc.
Reported by Bao Trung from Singapore
Translated by Thu Nguyen