China, Vietnam ties at crucial period of improvement, development: state councilor

HANOI, Oct. 27 -- Chinese State Councilor Yang Jiechi said here on Monday that the China-Vietnam relations are at a crucial period of improvement and development. "We should join efforts in promoting the positive factors in bilateral relations, properly handling existing issues, and strengthening and deepening the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership from the overall situation of bilateral cooperation," Yang said at the 7th meeting of the China-Vietnam steering committee on cooperation.

Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister Pham Binh Minh, for his part, said sticking to good-neighborliness, friendship, and mutually beneficial cooperation is the strategic choice of the Vietnamese party and government, as well as the common aspiration of the Vietnamese people. Vietnam will always adhere to this policy, said Minh who is also Vietnamese foreign minister.

The two sides believed the healthy and stable development of China-Vietnam relations accords with the aspiration and fundamental interests of two peoples, which will also contribute to regional stability and development.

Both sides will work together to implement the consensus reached by leaders of the two countries and to further promote the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership.

The two sides agreed to push forward the "Action Plan for Implementing the China-Vietnam Comprehensive Strategic Cooperative Partnership," and promote cooperation and exchanges in such fields as party-to-party, diplomacy, military, law enforcement, infrastructure, finance, science-technology, agriculture, education, culture and youth.

Both sides agreed to properly handle maritime issues in accordance with the spirit of relevant agreements and consensus, and seek basic and lasting solutions acceptable to both sides by fully utilizing the bilateral governmental mechanism on border negotiation.

They also agreed to control and manage their maritime differences, avoid taking any actions that might complicate and aggravate the disputes, so as to safeguard the China-Vietnam relations as well as peace and stability in the South China Sea.