Hanoi (VNA) – Friendship and cooperation have beenthe mainstream of Vietnam-China relations over the past seven decades, DeputyPrime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh affirmed in his article onthe occasion of the 70th anniversary of Vietnam-China diplomaticrelationship.

Minh, who is also head of the Vietnam sub-committee in theVietnam-China Steering Committee for Bilateral Cooperation, said 2020 has animportant meaning in the two countries’ traditional friendship as they celebratethe 70th founding anniversary of their diplomatic ties and lookback at the neighbourly friendship built and nurtured by late Presidents Ho ChiMinh and Mao Zedong along with the two countries’ revolutionary predecessors.

According to the Deputy PM, January 18, 1950 went into thehistory of Vietnam-China relations as an important milestone. Not long afterits establishment, the People’s Republic of China became the first country inthe world to set up diplomatic ties with the Democratic Republic of Vietnam(now the Socialist Republic of Vietnam).

During the 70-year course of development, the Parties, Statesand people of the two countries have stood side by side and given each othergreat and valuable support and assistance, contributing to the success of therespective revolutionary causes of national liberation and socialist building.

Over the past seven decades, the relations between Vietnam andChina have experienced ups and downs, but the friendship and cooperation remainthe mainstream, Minh wrote, adding that the amity built and nurtured by latePresidents Ho Chi Minh and Mao Zedong and generations of leaders of the twonations has become common valuable asset that helps maintain the trend ofstable development of bilateral traditional ties and benefit both peoples.

Particularly, since the normalisation of relations in 1991,Vietnam and China have deepened rapports in all fields from politics and economyto culture, security and defence. High-level exchanges and meetings between thetwo Parties and States have been regularly maintained in diverse forms. The twocountries’ leaders have reached many important common perceptions, whichcontribute to the reinforcement and enhancement of political trust andcomprehensive cooperation in all arenas, as well as serve as the long-termstrategic direction for the healthy and stable development of bilateralrelations, Minh said.

He added that the two sides have agreed to develop bilateralrelations under the motto “friendly neighbourliness, comprehensive cooperation,long-term stability, and looking forward to the future” (set in 1999) and in thespirit of “good neighbours, good friends, good comrades, and good partners”(set in 20050.

In 2008, Vietnam and China entered into a comprehensivestrategic cooperative partnership. This is the highest level of cooperationframework in Vietnam’s relations with countries in the world, and China wasalso the first country to build this framework with Vietnam.

With joint efforts, the bilateral comprehensive strategic cooperativepartnership has maintained stable development and achieved new progresses overthe past years.

So far, Vietnam and China have set up nearly 60 mechanisms ofexchange and cooperation from central to local levels in almost all fields,according to the Deputy PM and FM.

The twoParties’ cooperation has been strengthened, contributing to building trust between the twocountries. The two sides have maintained regular delegation exchange inpersonnel training and Party building; organised high-level meetings andtheoretical workshops for experience sharing in Party building, Statemanagement, reforms and international integration; and signed and effectivelyimplemented cooperation agreements between the two Parties.

Vietnam’s National Assembly and China’s National People’s Congress, the Vietnam Fatherland Front and the ChinesePeople’s Political Consultative Conference, and ministries and sectors of the twocountries have constantly expanded their exchange and cooperation. To date, Vietnam and China havesuccessfully held 11 meetings of the Steering Committee for BilateralCooperation, along with other activities such as border defense friendship exchanges, strategicsecurity dialogues and defence strategy dialogues. The two nations havemaintained mutual visits by navalships; conducted joint patrols on land and the Gulf of Tonkin and joint fisheryinspection; and held young officer exchanges.

The two sideshave also seen dynamic cooperation among their localities and Chinese cities and provinces, whichhave produced practical benefits for both sides. Nearly 50 Vietnamese cities and provinces have set up friendlyties with those in China with exchange events held frequently. Most notableevents include spring meetingsof Party Secretaries of fourVietnamese provinces – Quang Ninh, Lang Son, Cao Bang and Ha Giang – andChina’s Guangxi as well as of the joint working committee of those five localities; conferencesreviewing cooperation between Vietnamese ministries, sectors and localities andChina’s Guangdong; the joint working group between Vietnam’s Ha Giang, Lao Cai,Lai Chau, Dien Bien and China’s Yunnan; economic corridor cooperation between Vietnam’s Hanoi, Lao Cai, Hai Phongand Quang Ninh and China’s Yunnan. During the meetings, the two sides havediscussed ways to enhance mutual understanding and trust, bolster substantiveties in all areas, remove barriers and together build a border of peace, friendshipand stability which plays a vital role in developing the Vietnam-Chinacomprehensive strategic partnership in a stable and healthy manner.

Exchangesbetween mass organisations have been expanded to strengthen trustand mutually beneficial cooperation  andcreate a solid basis for bilateral relations. The two countries have jointlyorganised many cultural events, for example people’s rorum, people’s friendship festival,border people’s festival and youthfriendship meeting.

Bilateral tiesin economics, trade, investment, science-technology, culture, education andtourism have also seen significant progress. In November 2017, Vietnam andChina signed a memorandum of understanding on promoting connectivity betweenthe “Two Corridors, One Belt” initiative and the “Belt and Road Initiative.”Since 2004, China has remained Vietnam’s largest trade partner. Today, China isVietnam’s biggest import market and second largest export market, while Vietnam is China’s biggest trade partner in ASEAN and the 8th largest trade partner in general.Two-way trade hit 106.7 billion USD in 2018, 3,300 times higher than that of1991. In the first 11 months of last year, the bilateral trade totalled 105.75billion USD, a year-on-year increase of 8.71 percent. As of the end of last November, China was the seventh biggest foreign investor in Vietnam with 2,739 FDI projects, worth 16.1 billion USD in total. China has provided Vietnamwith long-term soft credit packages and non-refundable financial aid to supportthe latter’s socio-economic development. About five million Chinese touristsvisit Vietnam annually.

Currently,there are 11,000 Vietnamese students pursuing study at Chinese universitieswhile some 2,000 Chinese nationals are studying in Vietnam.

Under agreements and common perceptions reached by the two countries’ leaders,outstanding problems in bilateral ties have been step by step solved. The twocountries signed a wide range of important documents that create theprerequisite to build the Vietnam – China borderline of peace, stability anddevelopment, contributing to enhancing the traditional relations as well ascooperation between the two sides. The agreements include the Land BorderTreaty (signed in 1999), the agreements on maritime boundary delimitation and onfishery cooperation in the Gulf of Tonkin (2000), and three documents on landborder management (2009).

At present, disagreements and different perception remain between the twocountries on the sea issue. High-ranking leaders of the two Parties and countrieshave reached many important common perceptions on controlling disputes andmaintaining peace and stability in the East Sea. The two sides signed anagreement on basic principles guiding the settlement of sea-related issues in2011 while establishing and maintaining a governmental-level negotiationmechanism on borderline and territory, meetings between deputy foreignministers, and three negotiation mechanisms of expert-level working groups onthe area off the mouth of the Tonkin Gulf, cooperation in less sensitivesea-related areas, and cooperation for common development at sea.

Regarding developments in the East Sea recently, Vietnam persistently protectsits legitimate rights, while patiently pursuing dialogues to handle differences.

Valuable experiences during the negotiations on the land borderline anddelimitation of the Tonkin Gulf, together with the agreement on basicprinciples guiding the settlement of sea-related issues and common perceptionbetween leaders will create the prerequisite and trust for the two sides tocontinue talking to seek measures to step by step settle the East Sea issue ina peaceful manner on the basis of the two countries’
long-lastingfriendship, respect for legitimate rights and interests of each other, and inaccordance with international law, particularly the UN Convention of the Law ofthe Sea 1982 (UNCLOS 1982) and the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in theEast Sea (DOC) between ASEAN and China.

In conclusion, Deputy PM and FM Minh affirmed that the achievements in theVietnam – China relations in the past seven decades are valuable assets of bothpeoples. This year, the two countries will join hands to organise a multitudeof celebration activities, which Minh said are expected to create a new drivingforce for bilateral relations.

Heexpressed the hope that 2020 will mark a new period of development of therelations between the two Parties, States and peoples./.