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China Voice: China, Vietnam should transcend disputes, seek cooperation

Xinhua, April 8, 2015 Adjust font size:

The ongoing visit to China by Vietnamese Communist Party chief Nguyen Phu Trong will help cement Sino-Vietnamese friendship and ease the doubt caused by maritime disputes.

It is high time for the two neighbors to transcend disputes and move forward to strengthen their partnership.

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday agreed with Trong on "making joint efforts to control maritime disputes and safeguard peace and stability in the South China Sea".

Tension at sea is not the whole picture for the Sino-Vietnamese relationship. Past disputes have been calmed without damage to ties in the long term. Xi suggested the two parties, as well as the two countries, increase high-level interaction to find new solutions to their problems.

The primary theme of the bilateral relations lie in friendship and cooperation in politics, trade, culture, education and other fields over the 65 years since the two countries established diplomatic relations.

People in both countries gained tangible benefits from the close ties. China has been Vietnam's largest trade partner over the past decade and the southeastern Asian nation's second-largest export market after the United States. Vietnam exports the largest amount of fruit to China.

Meanwhile, Vietnam is China's second-largest ASEAN trade partner after Malaysia. China mainly exports electromechanical equipment, food, daily necessities and electricity to Vietnam.

The value of bilateral trade is expected to hit 60 billion U.S. dollars at the end of this year. Vietnam can also take the opportunities brought about by the China-led 21st-Century Maritime Silk Road Initiative, which aims for better connections between countries and mutually beneficial cooperation.

Vietnam and China share similar backgrounds as they are both committed to the great cause of socialism and are currently amid major reform programs. They need a peaceful environment for development now more than ever.

The friendship formed by late leaders Ho Chi Minh and Mao Zedong should be cherished. Both sides need to enhance political trust in each other.

The interactions between Trong, who is paying an official visit to China from Tuesday to Friday, and Chinese leaders will set the tone for future ties. Only by seeking common ground while shelving differences can Sino-Vietnam ties develop on the right track. Endi