President Xi Jinping visits Vietnam: A new historical milestone

(Dan Tri) - The visit to Vietnam of General Secretary and President of China Xi Jinping ended with many important results, including 36 cooperation documents signed and Vietnam and China issued a joint statement.

"The visit is a new historical milestone, bringing the relationship between the two Parties and two countries to a new height, meeting the aspirations and common interests of the people of the two countries, for peace, cooperation and development of the region and the world," General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong said about the visit to Vietnam by General Secretary and President of China Xi Jinping. General Secretary and President of China Xi Jinping and his wife, Professor Peng Liyuan, and a high-ranking delegation have just concluded a two-day State visit to Vietnam (December 12-13). With a total stay in Vietnam of nearly 30 hours, the General Secretary and President of China had a busy schedule. The visit recorded remarkable results when the two sides issued a joint statement on continuing to deepen and elevate the Comprehensive Strategic Cooperative Partnership, building a community of shared future between Vietnam and China of strategic significance.

6 directions of cooperation in the joint statement

At nearly 12 noon on December 12, the Air China plane carrying General Secretary and President of China Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan and a high-ranking delegation landed at Noi Bai Airport (Hanoi), beginning a State visit to Vietnam. Mr. Xi's visit attracted great attention from the Vietnamese people. Along the way from Noi Bai Airport to the Marriott Hotel (My Dinh), many people stood waiting on the streets, welcoming the motorcade carrying the Chinese President and his wife. The car accompanying Mr. Xi during the visit was also a special "character", named Hongqi N701 (Hong Qi). This is not a mass-produced car, with a limited quantity of only about 50 units. The car is equipped with amenities and safety such as soundproofing systems, armored bodies, bulletproof glass, etc.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh welcomed General Secretary and President of China Xi Jinping and his wife at Noi Bai airport (Hanoi), noon December 12 (Photo: Thanh Dong).

After returning to the Marriott Hotel, at 4 p.m. the same day, the General Secretary and President of China and his wife moved to the Presidential Palace to attend the State-level welcoming ceremony chaired by General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong. The welcoming ceremony was held according to the highest protocol for heads of state, in which Vietnam performed the 21-gun salute at Thang Long Imperial Citadel. After the solemn welcoming ceremony, General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and General Secretary and President of China Xi Jinping moved to the headquarters of the Party Central Committee Office to hold talks. In a warm, friendly, sincere and frank atmosphere, the two leaders had in-depth discussions on the situation of each Party and each country, the relationship between the two Parties and countries, and regional and international issues of mutual concern. General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong affirmed the consistent foreign policy of the Party and State of Vietnam: independence, self-reliance, peace, friendship, cooperation and development; diversification and multilateralization of foreign relations as well as the "4 no's" defense policy; proactive and active international integration comprehensively and deeply. Vietnam is a friend, a reliable partner and an active and responsible member of the international community. Affirming that developing relations with China is a top priority and a strategic choice, the General Secretary said that Vietnam supports socialist China to develop strongly, making increasingly important contributions to the cause of peace and progress of humanity.

Images at the State-level welcoming ceremony and talks between General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and General Secretary and President of China Xi Jinping (Photo: Thanh Dong - Dinh Trong Hai).

Sharing the joy of visiting Vietnam again and being moved to meet General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong again, General Secretary and President of China Xi Jinping affirmed that the Party, Government and people of China highly value the relationship with Vietnam, considering Vietnam a priority direction in its neighborly diplomacy. Mr. Xi also affirmed that China firmly supports Vietnam's cause of building socialism, supports Vietnam's prosperous development and people's happiness. From the high regard for the relationship between the two Parties and two countries, with the achievements of the Comprehensive Strategic Cooperative Partnership over the past 15 years and in the face of new requirements, the two sides agreed to build a Vietnam-China Community of Shared Future of strategic significance, striving for the happiness of the people of the two countries, for peace and progress of humanity. This content is also expressed in the joint statement released on December 13, on continuing to deepen and elevate the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership, building a community of shared future between Vietnam and China of strategic significance.

General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and General Secretary and President of China Xi Jinping look at the signed cooperation documents (Photo: Dinh Trong Hai).

The joint statement shows that the two sides agreed to promote the overall coordination role of the Vietnam-China Bilateral Cooperation Steering Committee, actively promote cooperation in the coming time, focusing on 6 major cooperation directions. The 6 directions include: Higher political trust; More substantive defense and security cooperation; Deeper substantive cooperation; More solid social foundation; Closer multilateral coordination; Disagreements are better controlled and resolved. In addition to the joint statement, one of the notable results of this visit was the signing of 36 cooperation documents between departments, ministries, branches and localities of Vietnam and China. In an interview before Mr. Tap's visit to Vietnam, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Minh Vu expected that with a large number of documents in many fields likely to be signed, this would create an important foundation for agencies, localities, people and businesses to implement more effective cooperation in the coming time.

Agree to work together to maintain peace and stability at sea

On the second day in Vietnam (December 13), General Secretary and President Xi Jinping and a high-ranking Chinese delegation laid wreaths and visited the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum. Afterwards, General Secretary and President Xi Jinping met with National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue at the National Assembly House. There, National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue proposed that the Vietnamese National Assembly and the Chinese National People's Congress maintain and further strengthen high-level and all-level exchanges and contacts, specialized committees, and Parliamentary Friendship Groups. At the same time, the two sides continue to promote their important roles in building a transparent and favorable legal and policy corridor; promote balanced and sustainable economic and trade cooperation, especially importing more agricultural and aquatic products from Vietnam. Expressing his agreement with the above proposals, General Secretary and President Xi Jinping of China hopes that the two countries will maintain high-level exchanges and contacts, discuss measures to build the Party and develop the country; Promote substantive cooperation, enhance infrastructure connectivity, and be ready to open up China's vast market; conduct people-to-people exchanges well; and manage disagreements well.

At a meeting with Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on the same morning, General Secretary and President of China Xi Jinping suggested that the two sides accelerate strategic connectivity and effectively implement the Cooperation Plan connecting the "Two Corridors, One Belt" framework with the "Belt and Road" initiative. Along with that, the two sides should strengthen substantive cooperation in various fields, bringing practical benefits to the people of the two countries; highly appreciating the achievements of cooperation in recent times. Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh suggested that China continue to expand the import of Vietnamese goods, agricultural and aquatic products, smoothly deploy smart border gates; further promote investment in Vietnam, especially to soon have large, typical projects in the fields where China has strengths in high technology and green transformation; strengthen connectivity of strategic infrastructure, transport infrastructure, border gate connectivity, etc. The Prime Minister also suggested that a working group be soon established to completely resolve difficulties in a number of long-standing backlog projects; Speed up the implementation of non-refundable aid projects, expand financial and monetary cooperation, contribute to promoting investment and facilitating trade activities; study the establishment of a Working Group on promoting tourism recovery between the two countries.

President Vo Van Thuong holds talks with General Secretary and President of China Xi Jinping (Photo: Phong Son).

On the morning of December 13, General Secretary and President of China Xi Jinping held talks with President Vo Van Thuong. At the meeting, the two leaders affirmed the successful results of the talks with many important common perceptions between General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and General Secretary and President Xi Jinping; the new position of Vietnam - China relations and the six pillars of cooperation established by the two General Secretaries have clearly shown the direction, opening up a period of good cooperation between the two Parties and two countries in the new period. The two sides also exchanged opinions on maritime issues, agreeing to make joint efforts to maintain peace and stability at sea. President Vo Van Thuong suggested that the two sides persistently adopt peaceful measures, in accordance with international law and high-level common perceptions, put themselves in each other's position, control and satisfactorily resolve disagreements. Along with that, the two sides need to continue to closely coordinate with ASEAN in fully implementing the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC), promoting the development of an effective, substantive Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC), in accordance with international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). After attending a reception hosted by President Vo Van Thuong and his wife, General Secretary and President of China Xi Jinping continued his schedule by moving to the National Convention Center. Here, Mr. Xi Jinping and his wife, along with General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and his wife, attended the Meeting of Friendship Scholars and Young Generations of Vietnam and China.

General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and his wife, along with General Secretary and President of China Xi Jinping and his wife, attended the meeting of friendship personalities and young generations of the two countries (Photo: Dinh Trong Hai - Manh Quan).

Speaking at the meeting, General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong reiterated the statement of General Secretary and President of China Xi Jinping at the 15th Vietnam-China Youth Friendship Meeting in April 2015, which was: "Relations between countries are based on the intimacy of the people, and the intimacy of the people comes from the young generation". At the meeting, General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong was pleased to announce that the visit to Vietnam this time by General Secretary and President Xi Jinping, his wife and the high-ranking Chinese delegation was a great success. On the basis of the traditional friendship and the achievements of the Comprehensive Strategic Cooperative Partnership in recent years, the two Parties and two countries have agreed to continue to deepen and elevate the Comprehensive Strategic Cooperative Partnership. Along with that, building the Vietnam-China Community of Shared Future has strategic significance for the happiness of the people of the two countries, for the cause of peace and progress of humanity. The two sides agreed to reach many important common perceptions. "The Joint Statement between the two countries has set out specific and comprehensive directions; together with the signed cooperation documents in many fields, it creates a framework and lays important foundations for the continued development of cooperative relations between the two Parties, two countries and two peoples in the new period, bringing practical benefits to the people of the two countries," General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong emphasized.

General Secretary and President of China Xi Jinping and his wife waved goodbye before boarding the plane on the afternoon of December 13 (Photo: Thanh Dong).

After the meeting, in the late afternoon of the same day, General Secretary and President of China Xi Jinping and his wife, along with the high-ranking delegation, boarded a special plane to return home, ending a 30-hour schedule in Vietnam.