Commentary: New era for Beijing-Hanoi ties in sight as Vietnamese PM visit China

As Beijing rolls out red carpet to welcome Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc for his first official visit to China since taking office earlier this year, a new era of stronger bilateral ties is well in sight.

Monday's talks between Chinese Premier Li Keqiang and his Vietnamese counterpart came on the heel of their encounter at the meetings of East Asian leaders in the Laotian capital of Vientiane last week. It is also their third meeting over the past three months.

He is also expected to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping today.

Such intensive high-level exchanges between the top leadership of both countries have proven that both Beijing and Hanoi share a strong political will to strengthen mutual trust.

The Vietnamese leader, who was re-elected in July, hopes to join Beijing in solving their maritime disputes, promoting bilateral ties and safeguarding stability and peace in the South China Sea.

At the just wrapped-up East Asian leaders' meetings in Laos, most regional countries agreed that direct talks among concerned parties are key to handling disputes that are related to sovereignty and territorial integrity.

But the agreement did not come easy, especially after the former Philippine government's illegal arbitration case regarding its maritime spat with China greatly heightened tensions in the region.

Still, there are countries, both within and outside the region, that want to muddy the waters for their own self-interests without consideration for regional tranquility.

Therefore, Vietnam should join China in preserving that hard-won consensus to avoid their differences over the South China Sea from taking their relationship hostage.

China has already promised that it will work diligently with its ASEAN partners on a code of conduct framework in the South China Sea by mid 2017. It is also hoped that the relevant countries in the region, including Vietnam, can walk hand-in-hand with China in resolving any outstanding disputes.

Of course, China's relations with its southern neighbor go well beyond their maritime divergence.

The two countries have in the past witnessed promising economic and trade ties. Last year, bilateral trade has hit a new high, making China Vietnam's biggest trading partner for 12 consecutive years.

According to the director of Bank of China's Ho Chi Minh City Branch, two-way trade will surpass 100 billion U.S. dollars this year, and Vietnam will overtake Malaysia to become China's biggest trading partner in Southeast Asia.

As Hanoi is determined to transform the country into a more industrialized economy, China can be of great source of assistance and investment along the path.

Moreover, China and Vietnam have great potential in pragmatic cooperation.

China's Belt and Road Initiative dovetails well with Vietnam's "Two Corridors and One Economic Circle" plan. It is expected that once coordination begins, the two proposals will bring more real benefits to both nations and their peoples. Endit