Lieutenant-General Ngo Xuan Lich

PANO - The working visit to China from September 14th of the Vietnamese high-ranking military political delegation, led by Lieutenant-General Ngo Xuan Lich, Member of the Secretariat of the Party Central Committee, Permanent Member of the Party Military Central Commission and Head of the General Department of Politics, has ended successfully. The following is an interview granted by Lieutenant-General Lich to the People’s Army newspaper reporter.

Reporter: What were the aims of the working visit to China of the Vietnamese high-ranking military political delegation aim?

Lt. Gen. Lich: The visit was under the planned activities in 2011 of the Party Military Central Commission, to respond to the visit to Vietnam in 2010 of Senior-Lieutenant-General Li Jinai, Director of the General Political Department of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army, according to the agreement between the two nations’ General Politics Departments signed in 2007.

The visit aimed at evaluating the national defence and military cooperation ties between the two sides in the past years, especially relations between the Vietnam’s General Department of Politics and China’s General Political Department and at seeking ways to strengthen the Vietnam-China strategic and comprehensive partnership, under the motto of 16-words and the 4-word spirit.

Besides, with the recent developments in the East Sea, the visit again reaffirmed the stance of the Vietnamese Party, State, people and army to attach much importance to Vietnam-China relations and Vietnam’s consistent policy on national sovereignty, to solve the East Sea issues peacefully under the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea and the Declaration on Conduct of the Parties in the East Sea between ASEAN and China (DOC). 

Reporter: What were the highlights of the recent visit?

Lt. Gen. Lich: We can say that the visit was a success as we could reach the planned targets and requirements. In the working sessions with Mr. Xi Jinping, Member of the Secretariat of the Communist Party of China, the country’s Vice-President and Senior Lieutenant-General Li Jinai, Director of the General Political Department of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army, both Chinese leaders strongly agreed with the Vietnamese Party, State, people and army’s stance to promote the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries and preserve the friendly relations of “comrades and brothers” set up and fostered by both President Ho Chi Minh and President Mao Zedong and the two countries’ generations of revolutionary predecessors.

Both sides are very pleased to see the great achievements in defence and military cooperation between the two defence organisations and military units of the two armies. Vietnam and China agreed that the two nation’s national defence and military cooperation play an important role in the Vietnam-China strategic relationship and partnership with many practical cooperation forms in recent years. The two nations also hope to expand other cooperation activities in fields of Party and political works, information, communications, literature and arts, including carrying on further education to the younger generations so they thoroughly perceive the value of the traditional China-Vietnam neighbourliness.

Moreover, for each cadre and soldier of the Vietnam People’s Army, we always remember the great support from the Chinese Party, State, people and Army during the Vietnam’s resistance wars for national liberation.

In addition, Vietnam and China are two socialist nations led by two communist parties, share common goals and ideology as well as two neighbouring countries sharing rivers and mountains, so we should unite ourselves, rely on each other and support each other for long-term stable development.

However, we should not avoid the present reality that there are existing differences and disputes over the East Sea in the bilateral relations. Though the recent developments brought about temporary difficulties to the ties, the two sides gained an important common acknowledge that these differences could not harm our strategic partnership and comprehensive cooperation. In the upcoming time, two sides should ensure that differences cannot become clashes and disputes cannot become hotspots and solve the issues under the international laws and two sides’ agreements.

It was pleasing to note that in their talks, Chinese Vice-President Xi Jinping, Senior Lieutenant-General Li Jinai and other high-ranking leaders of Chengdu and Yunnan Military Areas have agreed to develop the good Vietnam-China neighbourhood and reaffirmed that two armies will play an important part to boost the relationship of “comrades and brothers”.

Reporter: How will the Vietnam-China national defence and military cooperation develop in the future?

Lt. Gen. Lich: As mentioned above, the two sides’ armies should be to the front in promoting the comprehensive strategic relations between Vietnam and China. The national defence and military cooperation will make contributions to increasing the mutual understanding. At the present, some hostile forces are attempting to damage the solidarity and friendship between Vietnam and China. So, the national defence and military cooperation between the two armies, in general, and the two political agencies in particular, should focus on the long-term goal to foster the two nations’ traditional ties.

I totally agree with Vice-President Xi Jinping that Vietnam and China are two neighbouring countries that share rivers and mountains as well as share common goals and ideology, so they should unite themselves, rely on each other and support each other for long-standing stable development. I think it is the common aspirations of the two peoples. The Vietnam People’s Army will try their best to defend the national sovereignty, a stable and peaceful environment and tighten the bilateral traditional solidarity between the two Parties, States, peoples and armies of Vietnam and China.

To promote the Vietnam-China defence and military cooperation, keeping pace with the good political relations between the two Parties and States, two armies should enhance their strategic and high-ranking exchanges, promote cooperation in the Party and political activities, build up combined mechanisms between two nations’ military zones, navies, border guard forces, Military High Commands, bordering provinces and young officers.

These activities will be prepared and carried out thoughtfully and effectively to boost the Vietnam-China armies’ good relations.

Reporter: Thank you very much.

Translated by Van Hieu