(VOVworld) - Vietnamese Defence Minister Phung Quang Thanh met with his Chinese counterpart Chang Wanquan in Brunei’s capital city of Bandar Seri Begawan on Tuesday, on the sidelines of the seventh ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM-7).

Vietnam Defence Minister Phung Quang Thanh meets his Chinese counterpart Chang Wanquan                                    Source: VNA

At the meeting, the Chinese minister affirmed that China always treasures ties with Vietnam and will continue working with Vietnam to lift the two countries’ relations, including defence cooperation, to a new level. Defence Minister Thanh said that Vietnam always attaches importance to developing good neighborliness and long-standing relations with China, adding that the strengthening of cooperation, solidarity and mutual trust and understanding between the two countries is an important factor to maintain peace and stability in the region. Thanh added that Vietnam and China have existing issues at sea left over from history, and suggested the two sides strictly obey agreements and common perception made by their senior leaders. The two countries should work together to solve disputes at sea through peaceful negotiations based on international law, the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC), and continue to boost the establishment of a Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC).