Viet Nam gives top priority to developing ties with China: PM

Meeting Chinese Premier Li Keqiang in Phnom Penh, Cambodia on November 11, Prime Minister Pham expressed his belief that under the leadership of the Communist Party of China (CPC) with General Secretary and President Xi Jinping as a nucleus, the Chinese people will accomplish goals and tasks set by the CPC's 20th National Congress.

Premier Li affirmed that China backs Viet Nam's efforts to build an independent, self-reliant economy that effectively integrates into the world.

The two leaders vowed to continue specifying and turning the Viet Nam-China joint statement on further promoting and deepening the bilateral comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership into specific results, enhance all-level exchanges as well as effective, practical, mutually beneficial cooperation in all fields to bringing practical benefits to the two countries' people.

Prime Minister Pham suggested promoting two-way trade in a more balanced manner, especially maintaining smooth trade at border gates to facilitate Viet Nam's export of farm produce to China as the Lunar New Year holiday is approaching.

He wished both sides would strengthen railway connection, raise the amount of Vietnamese goods transited in China via railway to the third countries, soon approve the opening and upgrading of a number of border gates and traffic connection projects in border areas, improve the quality of investment cooperation and actively tackle difficulties facing some projects such as the second stage of the Thai Nguyen Iron and Steel Plant, Ninh Binh and Ha Bac Fertiliser Plants.

The leader proposed enhancing the exchange of experience in regulating macro-economy, lifting the level of cooperation in new fields such as digital economy, green economy, workforce training, industrialisation and modernisation, effective response to emerging challenges like food security, water security and climate change.

Agreeing with Pham's proposals, Li vowed to cooperate with Vietnam to deal with deficit, step up healthy trade in win-win spirit, further open the market for Viet Nam's exports, especially farm produce while preventing the reoccurrence of Vietnamese farm produce overload at border gates.

He suggested two sides jointly maintain supply and production chains and tap strengths of each side to expand the world markets. About existing problems in several joint projects, the Chinese leader expressed willingness to work with Viet Nam and called for establishing a joint working group to deal with them.

China is ready to create conditions for Vietnamese students to return to China and resume commercial flights between the two nations, he said.

Underscoring the importance of maintaining peace and stability in the East Sea, they agreed to satisfactorily handle differences on the basis of equality and cooperation, continue upholding negotiation mechanisms on maritime delimitation and cooperation, fully and effectively implement the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC), strive to reach a practical, effective and efficient Code of Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (COC) in line with international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), contributing to peace, security, stability and sustainable development in the East Sea and the region./. VNA