Xi says China ready to work with Vietnam to promote ties

BEIJING -- Chinese President Xi Jinping said Monday that China-Vietnam relations are standing at a new historical starting point and China is willing to work with Vietnam to push for steady and enduring development of bilateral ties. 

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks during a phone conversation with his counterpart, Nguyen Phu Trong, general secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee and Vietnamese president. 

China, Xi added, stands ready to join forces with Vietnam to strengthen strategic communication, increase political mutual trust, and maintain the political guidance role of and close communication between the leaderships of the two parties. 

Xi congratulated Trong again on his election as the general secretary of the CPV Central Committee, noting that the successful convention of the 13th National Congress of the CPV, which has set development goals for the new stage, bears great significance. 

He expressed the belief that under the leadership of the new CPV Central Committee headed by Trong, the CPV and the Vietnamese people would implement in an all-around way the decisions and deployments of the 13th National Congress of the CPV to strive to achieve the development goals of the CPV and the country. 

China and Vietnam are a community with a shared future which bears strategic significance, Xi stressed, adding that the continuously sound and stable development of bilateral relations conforms to the fundamental interests of the two parties, countries and peoples, and is conducive to the vigorous development of their socialist causes and to safeguarding regional and world peace and stability to promote development and prosperity. 

In the face of the impact of COVID-19 pandemic and the challenge of complicated external environment, pragmatic cooperation between the two countries in various fields has been enhanced against the headwinds, which reflected the remarkable advantages of the leadership of the communist parties and socialist systems, and demonstrated the great vitality of the relations between the two parties and countries, Xi said. 

This year marks the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China and the beginning of China's 14th Five-Year Plan, Xi said, noting that it is also the first year for Vietnam to implement the spirit of the 13th National Congress of the CPV. 

China, Xi added, is willing to work with Vietnam to accelerate the synergy of the Belt and Road Initiative with the "Two Corridors, One Economic Belt," promote the construction of cross-border economic cooperation zones between the two countries, and explore exchanges and cooperation in such fields as healthcare, digital economy and humanities. 

The two sides should strengthen coordination and cooperation on international and regional issues, firmly uphold the international system with the United Nations at its core, oppose protectionism and unilateralism, and support a fast entry into force of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership agreement, Xi noted. 

China and Vietnam, he said, should properly manage the maritime differences and stand against the instigation of external forces to promote the development of regional peace and stability. 

Trong thanked Xi for the good wishes on his re-election as the general secretary of the CPV Central Committee, noting that the 13th National Congress of the CPV has set the direction and tasks for the country's economic and social development in the next five years and the development visions to 2030 and 2045. 

Developing and strengthening the traditional friendly relations between Vietnam and China have always been the top priority of the CPV and his country, Trong said, adding that the Vietnamese side speaks highly of China's achievements in pandemic prevention and control as well as the recovery of economic development, and congratulated China on its achieving the first centenary goal. 

Against the background of complex changes in the current international situation, Trong said, it is of vital importance to consolidate and develop the friendly and cooperative relations between the two parties, countries and peoples. 

He noted that Vietnam is willing to work with China to deepen political mutual trust, strengthen inter-party exchanges, accelerate the implementation of bilateral pragmatic cooperation agreements, steer the China-Vietnam comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership along the path of sustained, healthy and stable development, and make contributions to promoting regional and global peace, stability, cooperation and development. 

The Vietnamese side congratulated the Communist Party of China on its 100th anniversary and expressed the firm belief that under the leadership of the Communist Party of China Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at the core, China will make new and greater achievements in its new journey to build a modern socialist country in an all-round way, he said.