Commentary: Deepening cooperation with China conducive to Vietnamese development vision

The 12th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV), set to open Wednesday, will elect the new leadership of the ruling party and outline the country's development roadmap over the next five years.

Since the implementation of the Doi Moi policy, or opening up to the world 30 years ago, the socialist country of Vietnam has achieved remarkable economic success and social stability under the CPV leadership, hauling the nation out of severe inflation and into the camp of middle income countries recognized by the World Bank.

What is worth mentioning is that the country's booming cooperation with China has played important role in scoring these accomplishments. Bilateral trade has hit a new high in 2015, making China Vietnam's biggest trading partner for the 12 consecutive years and Vietnam China's second largest partner in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in 2014.

And Hanoi has even greater ambitions. Its next five-year plan, including a bid to gear the party and country up for a more industrialized economy, cleaner governance and brisker international integration, will require closer ties with China.

Vietnam's pursuit of modern industrialization can easily draw upon the sophisticated productivity, the technical expertise and ample investment of China. And the CPV's urgent anti-corruption campaign could also find resonance from its Chinese counterpart, which has made strides in achieving cleaner governance.

China has also given its unswerving support for Vietnam's effort to improve relations with other countries.

However, Vietnam's diplomatic aims should not come at the cost of the country's hard-won traditional friendship with China and negatively impact the overall interests of both sides.

The two socialist neighbors have beared a time-tested friendship. They have intertwined interests, similar governance systems and continue to push for a fairer international order. They have every reason to safeguard and enhance their relationship, which is also in line with the interests of the two peoples, parties and countries.

Despite the meddling hands of some specific Western countries and parochial and nationalist voices in Vietnam, which led to the flaring up of the nation's dispute with China over the South China Sea, the overall bilateral relationship has weathered challenges and remains stable.

In face of those who attempt to drive a wedge between China and Vietnam, the leadership in both countries continues to display enough acumen and foresight to forge a consensus, vowing in their frequent meetings last year to strengthen their traditional friendship, properly settle disputes, seek dialogue and strive for pragmatic cooperation.

The change in the CPV's central leadership shall not shake the two countries' commitment to deepen their collaboration. Both sides have widely accepted this consensus based on their common interests and aspirations, which should be adhered to at all costs.

It should also be made clear that any fueling of nationalist sentiment against the China-Vietnam relationship will only serve to harm the instigators themselves. Endi