Hanoi (VNA) – President Vo Van Thuong hosted a reception in Hanoion December 1 for Politburo member, Director of theOffice of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee's Commission for Foreign Affairs and Minister of Foreign Affairs Wang Yi, who isin Vietnam to attend the 15th meeting of the Vietnam-ChinaSteering Committee for Bilateral Cooperation.

Both sides agreed thatfollowing the highly successful visit to China by Party General SecretaryNguyen Phu Trong in October 2022, the relations between the two Parties and countrieshave maintained development momentum and achieved many new accomplishments, with high-levelexchanges and meetings, growth in economic and trade ties, and increasingly vibrantpeople-to-people and locality-to-locality exchanges.

President Thuong said the Vietnamese Party, State and peoplealways consider the relationship with China a strategic choice and a toppriority in its foreign policy of independence, self-reliance,multilateralisation and diversification of ties.

Wang affirmed that the Chinese Party, Government and people attach great importance to the friendly neighbourliness and comprehensive cooperation with the Party, State and people of Vietnam, and consider this a priority direction in the foreign policy of China.

China always supports Vietnam to successfully implement its industrialisation and modernisation goal, towards realising the vision and development aspiration set by the 13th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV), he said.

Thuong suggested the two sides increase high-level exchange activities and meetings, and effectively deploy cooperation mechanisms between the two Parties, and between the Vietnamese National Assembly and the National People's Congress (NPC) of China, as well as between the Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) and the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), thus deepening the Vietnam - China comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership in the coming time.

He also suggested the two sides to continue promoting the role of the Vietnam - China Steering Committee for Bilateral Cooperation, enhance cooperation in important fields such as diplomacy, defence, and security, improve the quality and effectiveness of cooperation in fields, especially economics - trade, investment, and transportation, and boost people-to-people exchange.

Regarding the East Sea issue, President Thuong urged the two sides to well implement high-level common perceptions, better control and address disagreements at sea, put themselves in each other's position, and respect each other's legitimate and legal interests in line with international law and the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), thus jointly building the East Sea into a sea of peace, friendship, cooperation and development.

Thanking the Vietnamese President for his attention and opinions on developing relations between the two Parties and two countries, the Chinese official agreed that the two sides will continue to well implement high-level common perceptions, well implement specific cooperation measures put forth at the 15th Meeting of the China-Vietnam Steering Committee for Bilateral Cooperation; further deepen cooperation in all fields between the two countries; properly control and handle disagreements at sea, and make the China-Vietnam comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership to develop healthily and stably, bringing practical benefits to the people of the two countries./.