China, Vietnam pledge further maritime cooperation

China and Vietnam pledged further maritime cooperation during the meeting between Chinese Premier Li Keqiang and General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Nguyen Phu Trong in Beijing on Wednesday.

Li, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, hailed the establishment of three working groups on maritime, offshore and financial cooperation, and called on the groups to conduct cooperation on joint maritime development, overland intercommunication and finance in a synchronized way.

The establishment of the three working groups was a consensus reached by China and Vietnam during Li's visit to the country in October 2013, which was an important breakthrough for the two countries on their way to peacefully handle maritime disputes.

China was willing to begin joint inspections with Vietnam in waters at the mouth of the Beibu Gulf, a semi-enclosed sea whose delineation remains under negotiation between China and Vietnam, as early as possible within this year, to promote a substantial progress in the two countries' joint development of the waters and even wider, Li said.

He noted that China was also ready for economic cooperation with Vietnam in multilateral areas and cooperation under sub-regional mechanisms including the Greater Mekong and Pan-Beibu Gulf.

Trong said Vietnam will work with China to speed up the work of the three working groups, strengthen bilateral negotiation on maritime issues in accordance with agreements already reached, and find out a solution acceptable to both sides to maintain the peace and stability.

He said Vietnam attached high importance to the comprehensive strategic partnership with China, which is a priority of its foreign policy. Vietnam hopes to further consolidate the bilateral traditional friendship and the ties as comrades and brothers.

On Wednesday, the two countries also issued a joint communique, in which they also reaffirmed to control the disputes on sea issues, comprehensively implement the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC), reach a Code of Conduct (COC) through negotiations in early date, and avoid actions that may complicate and escalate the disputes.

The two countries, in the joint communique, vowed to handle problems promptly and appropriately to maintain the overall situation of China-Vietnam ties and the peace and stability on the South China Sea.

They also agreed to maintain frequent high-level exchanges, consolidate political trust and exchange views on major issues regarding the global and regional situation and bilateral ties in a timely manner.

Both countries vowed to boost closer exchanges and cooperation between the two ruling parties, congresses and between the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and Vietnam Fatherland Front, said the communique.

To facilitate stronger trade ties, both sides are working on a border trade agreement, and agreed to boost infrastructure connectivity projects as well as cooperation in such areas as agriculture, manufacturing, service industry, technology, medication and quarantine, according to the communique.

The two countries formally launched two working groups on infrastructure cooperation as well as finance and currency cooperation.

The two groups will coordinate with another working group on joint maritime exploration to cement cooperation in various areas, said the communique.

Both sides pledged to enhance exchanges and cooperation in diplomacy, national defense, law enforcement, security, media, culture, education and tourism, and work together to combat terrorism, drugs and telecom fraud, according to the communique.

They agreed to step up coordination in the United Nations, the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), China-ASEAN meetings and other multilateral frameworks.

China supports Vietnam's hosting of the Leaders' Meeting of APEC in 2017.

During Trong's visit, China and Vietnam signed a string of deals, including a CPC-CPV cooperation plan from 2016 to 2020, a China-Vietnam extradition treaty, an agreement on tax on oil and gas concerning China-Vietnam joint exploration in Pan-Beibu Gulf, a memorandum of understanding(MOU) between the two defense ministries on UN peacekeeping missions, a MOU on the infrastructure cooperation working group and a MOU on finance and currency cooperation working group.

Trong is paying an official visit to China at the invitation of President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the CPC Central Committee.

According to the joint communique, Trong invited Xi to pay an official visit to Vietnam at an early date. Xi accepted the invitation.

Besides the meeting with Li, two other members of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee Zhang Dejiang, also the top legislator, and Yu Zhengsheng, the top political advisor, also met with Trong. Endi