Chinese, Vietnamese presidents hold talks on ties

Chinese President Xi Jinping held talks Thursday with Vietnamese President Tran Dai Quang, who is on a state visit to China and will attend the upcoming Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation.

Xi recalled his meeting with Quang last November on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Economic Leaders' Meeting in Lima. Peru, in which they reached important consensus on deepening bilateral all-round strategic cooperation.

Chinese President Xi Jinping (right) meets with Vietnamese President Tran Dai Quang in Beijing, on May 11, 2017. [Photo: Xinhua]

Xi invited Nguyen Phu Trong, general secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee, to visit China in January this year. Xi and Trong had in-depth exchanges on major issues of common concern, and clarified the direction of future China-Vietnam ties.

Xi said both sides should work closely to implement consensus reached by state leaders, cement cooperation in various areas, and boost their all-round strategic partnership to a new level.

"The two countries should boost maritime cooperation, accumulate consensus and expand common interests, and control their differences through dialogue," Xi said.

Quang agreed to properly handle disputes and step up bilateral maritime cooperation.

China firmly supports Vietnam's development path suitable to its national conditions, and will stick to a friendly policy towards Vietnam and facilitate sustained and stable growth of bilateral ties, Xi said.

He urged both sides to maintain high-level exchanges, keep timely contacts on bilateral relations and issues of common concern, and to adhere to the correct direction of bilateral relations.

Xi called on to make full use of the China-Vietnam steering committee on cooperation, combine their development strategies, accelerate the building of cross-border economic cooperation zones, and deepen cooperation in such areas as capacity, infrastructure building, investment and trade.

The Chinese president also proposed expanding cultural exchanges as well as cooperation in education, medical care, youth and cultural industries.

He asked both sides to cement coordination in multilateral frameworks such as the United Nations, APEC, China-ASEAN and the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation Frameworks.

Quang is on a state visit to China from May 11 to 15, and will attend the upcoming Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, scheduled for May 14 to 15 in Beijing.

"The forum will help gather consensus and enhance global cooperation, to push forward economic globalization in a more open, inclusive, balanced and win-win direction," Xi said.

He called on the two countries to take the opportunity of the forum to synergize their strategies and boost substantial cooperation.

Quang, for his part, said it is a set policy and a priority of Vietnam to consolidate friendship with China and boost healthy and stable growth of ties.

The CPV, the Vietnamese government and people will never forget China's precious support for its national liberation and construction, he said.

Quang suggested both sides to keep high-level visits, expand cooperation in trade, agriculture, environment, infrastructure, tourism, culture, security as well as in the Belt and Road Initiative.

He congratulated China's development achievements in recent years, and wished full success of the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China later this year. 

The two presidents witnessed the signing of a series of bilateral cooperation agreements ranging from diplomacy, economic technology, e-commerce, to infrastructure building and education.

This is Quang's first visit to China since he took office in April 2016.

Altogether 29 heads of state and government leaders will attend the upcoming forum. It marks the highest-profile international meeting on the Belt and Road Initiative since it was proposed by China in 2013.