Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister Pham Gia Khiem (left) meets Chinese Vice

President Xi Jinping at the fourth meeting of the Viet Nam-China

steering committee for bilateral co-operation in Beijing.

Viet Nam and China have emphasised the need to set up a hotline between senior leaders of the two nations to handle issues of major concern.

 

They have also agreed to properly deal with land border issues and seek basic and durable solutions to sea-related territorial matters through friendship negotiations.

 

These were among the consensus decisions made at the fourth meeting of the Viet Nam-China steering committee for bilateral co-operation, which was co-chaired by Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Gia Khiem, and Chinese State Councillor Dai Bingguo.

 

The two sides also agreed to jointly organise activities to celebrate the 2010 Viet Nam-China Friendship Year, particularly the Viet Nam-China youth festival scheduled in late August in Guangxi.

 

They agreed to enhance political trust and exchanges to lay a firm foundation for the development of the bilateral relationship and boost relations between the two Parties, especially in the exchange of theory and experiences in the Party building work, socialist construction, State management and personnel training.

 

The two sides agreed to promote economic, trade and investment cooperation, maintain the steady growth of two-way trade, address the trade imbalance and hold the seventh meeting of the Viet Nam-China Committee for Economic and Commercial Co-operation in the near future.

 

The officials also agreed to step up cultural co-operation and friendship exchanges, as well as tighten co-ordination in multilateral, international and regional issues.

 

Participants at the meeting were unanimous that Vietnamese and Chinese cities and provinces, especially border localities, need to foster mutually beneficial cooperation to advance trade, investment and tourism.

 

They noted with pleasure the important progress made in relations between the two Parties and States since the third meeting held in March 2009, referring to the regular exchange of visits of senior leaders and increased exchanges between ministries, agencies and localities of both countries.

 

Yesterday, Khiem met Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping and conveyed regards from the Vietnamese Government to the people in southern provinces affected by recent floods.

 

Xi spoke highly of the results of the meeting, especially the measures to enhance the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership between the two nations.

 

The vice president said the Party and Government of China attached great importance to and would spare no efforts to boost relations with Viet Nam.

 

During his four-day visit, Khiem met Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi and former State Councillor Tang Jiaxuan to discuss bilateral relations and international and regional issues. He also visited several economic and cultural establishments in Beijing and Tianjin.

 

Khiem and the mayor of Tianjin, Huang Xingguo, exchanged views on measures aimed at strengthening cooperation between Viet Nam and the Chinese city in urban planning; seaports; high, green and clean technology and education.

 

Vietnamnet/ Source: VNS