(VOVworld)- On Monday, Vietnam and China agreed to enhance political trust, maintain high-level visits and strive for new progress in their result-oriented cooperation. At the ninth meeting of the steering committee for bilateral cooperation in Hanoi co-chaired by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh and Chinese State Councilor Yang Jiechi, both sides agreed to work harder to develop their friendship and comprehensive cooperation in a healthy and stable fashion, as it is in accordance with the two peoples’ wishs and fundamental interests and benefits peace, stability and development in the region.

Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister Pham Binh Minh (R) and Chinese State Councilor Yang Jiechi (Photo: VNA)

They agreed to seriously implement the agreements reached and common perceptions shared between leaders of the countries’ Parties and States. They pledged to work together to effectively carry out the two Parties’ cooperation plan for the 2016 – 2020 period, increase collaboration between their local Party organisations, and successfully hold people-to-people exchanges.  At the meeting, the two sides agreed on cooperation priorities in order to boost ties between Vietnamese and Chinese ministries and localities, particularly in diplomacy, defence, security, and law enforcement. They agreed to bolster economic, trade and investment partnerships and expand connections in infrastructure, finance, currency, agriculture, environment, transport, health care, science, technology, culture, education and tourism. Both countries agreed on tightening management and security, while quickly settling issues arising along their shared border in order to ensure stable, healthy and sustainable economic links in border areas.  During the meeting, the officials stressed the need for properly achieving the agreements and common perceptions between their Party and State leaders, including the agreement on basic principles guiding the settlement of sea-related issues. Both Vietnam and China must properly handle disagreements, maximising negotiation mechanisms to attain substantive progress, strive to carry out agreed joint projects at sea, and discuss the establishment of a cooperation mechanism for search and rescue at sea. They should persistently engage in discussions and negotiations to seek basic and long-term solutions acceptable to both sides, the officials noted.