Xi says China, Vietnam should sail together on same ship of socialism

Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and Chinese president, meets with Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh in Hanoi, capital of Vietnam, Dec. 13, 2023. [Xinhua/Pang Xinglei]

HANOI -- Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and Chinese president, said here on Wednesday that China and Vietnam should sail together on the same ship of socialism.

In his meeting with Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, Xi said both sides should be alert to and oppose any attempts to mess up the Asia-Pacific, strengthen coordination and cooperation in international affairs, and jointly maintain a favorable external environment.

Upon its arrival at the premises, Xi's motorcade was warmly welcomed by several hundred Vietnamese youths and representatives from various sectors who lined the streets and waved the national flags of China and Vietnam.

In the meeting, Xi pointed out that the China-Vietnam relationship is making steady progress. Recalling the signing ceremony of several dozen cooperation documents that he and General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee Nguyen Phu Trong witnessed Tuesday, Xi noted that the documents cover a wide range of cooperation between the two parties and two countries and fully reflect the breadth and depth of the bilateral relationship.

China and Vietnam have common ideals and convictions and enjoy a shared future. Xi and Trong have jointly announced the building of a China-Vietnam community with a shared future that carries strategic significance, thus opening a new chapter for China-Vietnam relations in the new era. It will bring greater benefits to the two peoples and make positive contributions to peace, stability and development in the region and beyond, Xi said.

Xi pointed out that Chinese modernization has brought unprecedented opportunities to countries around the world and will boost Vietnam's efforts to accelerate its industrialization and modernization.

The Chinese and Vietnamese economies are highly complementary and closely linked, Xi said, noting that the signing of a cooperation plan on synergizing the Belt and Road Initiative and the Two Corridors and One Economic Circle strategy has opened up new vistas for broadening practical cooperation between the two countries.

China will import more quality Vietnamese products, strengthen its connection with Vietnam on industrial and supply chains, enhance connectivity, and expand its cooperation with Vietnam in emerging areas like renewable energy and digital economy, Xi said.

Xi stressed that the two sides may increase exchanges on ideological work and party theories and share experiences on party and state governance.

It is also important that the two sides increase people-to-people exchanges and cooperation to deepen the friendship between the two peoples and prepare the younger generation for the task of taking over the baton of the China-Vietnam friendship at an early date, Xi said.

While the remarkable achievements in China's reform and opening-up and Vietnam's "Doi Moi" (renewal) are the result of hard work by the two countries, they are also attributable to a peaceful and stable world in general and an open and inclusive Asia-Pacific in particular, he said.

For his part, Pham Minh Chinh expressed a warm welcome to Xi's visit to Vietnam on behalf of the Vietnamese government and said that Vietnam and China are two countries cherishing the same ideals and pursuing similar paths.

All of President Xi's visits to Vietnam and his important remarks have strengthened Vietnam's recognition theoretically and emotionally, deepened the friendship and mutual trust, and enhanced the amity and affinity between the two countries, he said.

Demonstrating their strategic vision, Trong and Xi agreed on a new characterization of the bilateral ties on Tuesday, i.e. a Vietnam-China community with a shared future that carries strategic significance, he said that this is a major historic milestone in the relations between the two parties and two countries, charting the course and injecting new impetus for the Vietnam-China relations going forward.

The prime minister said that Vietnam admires the historic achievements of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era in adapting the basic tenets of Marxism to China's specific realities and fine traditional culture, admires the enormous progress China has made in its reform and opening-up, including the development of the Xiong'an New Area and the Hainan Free Trade Port, and will continue to learn from these achievements.

He fully agrees with the important views President Xi made in his article published in a Vietnamese newspaper. The further strengthening of Vietnam's relations with China is the top priority and a strategic choice of the CPV and the government of Vietnam, as well as the strong desire of the Vietnamese people, he added.

Vietnam stays committed to the one-China policy, he said, adding that Vietnam supports China in achieving greater development and strength and playing a more important role in international affairs and supports the global initiatives put forth by President Xi.

Acting on the important common understandings reached between the two general secretaries and following the vision of making progress on six fronts, Vietnam will work with China to maintain close high-level exchanges, strengthen all-round cooperation in trade and economy, sub-national and people-to-people exchanges, defense and security, step up coordination in the multilateral arena, continue to deepen political mutual trust, and further enrich the Vietnam-China comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership, he said.

Noting that the bilateral relationship has stood the test of time and history, Pham Minh Chinh expressed his conviction that the relationship will not be affected by any external force trying to sow discord or cause disruption and that the building of a Vietnam-China community with a shared future will benefit the two peoples and contribute to peace, stability and prosperity in the region.

Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and Chinese president, meets with Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh in Hanoi, capital of Vietnam, Dec. 13, 2023. [Xinhua/Pang Xinglei]

Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and Chinese president, meets with Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh in Hanoi, capital of Vietnam, Dec. 13, 2023. [Xinhua/Shen Hong]