Vietnam and China reached numerous agreements and signed ten contracts worth $3.6 billion during yesterday’s talks between visiting Chinese leader Hu Jintao, General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Nong Duc Manh, and State President Nguyen Minh Triet in Hanoi.
During talks, the two sides focused on enhancing bilateral relations between the two Parties and States, and boosting their cooperation in regional and international issues of common concern.
The Vietnamese leaders affirmed that long-term comprehensive cooperation with China is always a top priority in Vietnam’s external policy.
For his part, the Chinese leader reaffirmed support for the orientation and policies set forth by the CPV at its 10th Congress. He congratulated Vietnam for admission to the WTO and expressed willingness to share experience in implementing WTO commitments.
Hu also gave support for Vietnam's candidacy as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for the 2008-09 term.
Host and guest agreed to further boost bilateral trade and economic ties and speed up settlement of disputed border and territory issues between the two countries.
The two sides set a target of increasing bilateral trade turnover to $15 billion by 2010 from $8.2 billion last year, and agreed to complete demarcation and planting border markers in 2008.
They also agreed to continue negotiations on sea-related issues to find a long-term solution to maintain peace and stability at the East Sea.
After their discussions, the top leaders of the two nations witnessed the signing of ten contracts worth $3.6 billion, including an agreement on widening and deepening trade and economic cooperation, a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on “Two corridors - one economic belt” development program, a diplomatic note on human resources training, a MoU on border health quarantine, a MoU on building a coal-fueled thermal plant, an agreement on common offshore oil and gas exploration in the Tonkin Gulf, and an agreement on an alumina project in Dak Nong.
Hu Jintao took the opportunity to invite Nong Duc Manh and Nguyen Minh Triet to visit China. The two Vietnamese leaders accepted the invitation with pleasure. Vietnam and China will release a joint statement concluding Hu’s visit.
(Local sources)
Vietnamese
