On the afternoon of November 21, in Vientiane (Laos), the ASEAN-China Defense Ministers' Informal Meeting took place under the co-chair of Senior General Chansamone Chanyalath, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense of Laos, and Senior General Dong Jun, Minister of Defense of China.
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| General Phan Van Giang met with Senior Lieutenant General Dong Quan. – Photo: QĐND |
A high-ranking delegation from the Vietnamese Ministry of National Defense led by General Phan Van Giang, Politburo member, Deputy Secretary of the Central Military Commission, and Minister of National Defense attended the meeting.
Senior Lieutenant General Dong Jun emphasized that China-ASEAN defense cooperation is increasingly practical and effective, contributing to maintaining security, stability and development in the region. At the meeting, delegates reviewed the achievements and successful experiences of ASEAN-China defense cooperation, shared issues of mutual concern and proposed directions to strengthen and promote defense cooperation in the coming time.
Speaking at the meeting, General Phan Van Giang emphasized that in recent times, defense cooperation between ASEAN and China has been actively and effectively implemented. China has always actively participated in defense and security cooperation mechanisms led by ASEAN such as ADMM+ and the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), proposing many activities to build trust and capacity with ASEAN member countries, such as the ASEAN-China Defense Research Institute Exchange, the ASEAN-China Young Officers Exchange, as well as activities within the framework of the ADMM+ Experts' Group. With their existing experiences and resources, ASEAN believes that China and Brunei will successfully assume the role of co-chairs of the ADMM+ Experts' Group on Peacekeeping for the 2024-2027 period.
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| Scene of the ASEAN-China Defense Ministers' Informal Meeting. Photo: QĐND |
In order to deepen and substantiate cooperation, truly meeting the interests of the people and commensurate with the comprehensive strategic partnership, General Phan Van Giang said that the two sides need to continue activities to strengthen trust through maintaining dialogue, high-level consultations, as well as other substantive cooperation activities such as delegation exchanges, information sharing, etc.
General Phan Van Giang affirmed that Vietnam supports the expansion of the ASEAN Direct Communication Line Infrastructure with partners, including China. This is a step in line with the ADMM's foreign relations orientation, aiming to enhance trust, share information, and promptly handle arising situations. At the same time, it is necessary to continue maintaining exchanges between defense research institutes and exchanges between young and mid-level officers, thereby sharing viewpoints, understanding, and mutual trust to contribute to realizing the goal of cooperation for peace, stability, and regional self-reliance.
General Phan Van Giang assessed that ASEAN and China’s efforts to promote the negotiation process of the Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC) demonstrate goodwill and commitment to cooperate in resolving issues in the East Sea. It is very necessary to soon achieve a COC that is substantive, effective and in accordance with international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
On the sidelines of the ASEAN-China Defense Ministers’ Informal Meeting, Senior General Phan Van Giang met with Senior Lieutenant General Dong Jun. The two Ministers agreed to promote defense cooperation, realize the cooperation contents agreed upon by the two countries’ senior leaders, in order to contribute to the healthy and stable development of the Vietnam-China comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership.
On the same afternoon, General Phan Van Giang also attended the 50th Anniversary of ASEAN-Australia Dialogue Relations and the 35th Anniversary of ASEAN-Korea Dialogue Relations.
On the occasion of attending the 18th ADMM and the 11th ADMM+ in Vientiane, General Phan Van Giang had a sideline discussion with South Korean Defense Minister Kim Yong Hyun about bilateral defense cooperation.
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| General Phan Van Giang had a bilateral meeting with Senior Lieutenant General Alexander Fomin, Deputy Minister of Defense of Russia. Photo: QĐND |
General Phan Van Giang also had a bilateral meeting with Senior Lieutenant General Alexander Fomin, Deputy Minister of Defense of Russia. The two sides expressed their delight at witnessing the bilateral defense cooperation continuing to achieve many important results in 2024. Notably, the exchange of delegations at all levels has been maintained well; effective cooperation in the fields of: Training, coaching, military medicine, military-service cooperation, military media and news, military history, military law; maintaining effective coordination and consultation at international multilateral defense mechanisms and forums, especially ADMM+.
Emphasizing that in December, the Vietnamese Ministry of National Defense will organize the 80th anniversary of the founding of the Vietnam People's Army and the 2nd Vietnam International Defense Exhibition, General Phan Van Giang hopes to receive support and active participation from the leaders of the Ministry of National Defense as well as Russian defense enterprises.
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