VN and China agreed to take bilateral ties to a new height
Ha Noi, Mar. 1 (VNA) -- A communique on a three-day official visit to Viet Nam from Feb. 27 to Mar. 1 by Party General Secretary and President Jiang Zemin of China reflects both countries' resolve to take bilateral ties to a new height of development.
The communique, released in Ha Noi on Mar. 1, says Viet Nam and China agreed to maintain the fine tradition of conducting high-level meetings in diverse forms to discuss their bilateral ties as well as regional and international issues of mutual concern.
The two countries affirmed their determination to continue encouraging frequent meetings between their younger generations to maintain the fine tradition of friendship and cooperation between Viet Nam and China, the communique says.
It adds that they agreed to further exchange experiences in building socialism in Viet Nam and China and to strengthen cooperation in clarifying theoretical issues on the path to socialism in the new conditions.
Both countries stressed the need to bolster economic, trade and investment cooperation in order to address the threat of a global economic downturn.
The communique notes that they were of the same view on the implementation of a number of large-scale cooperation projects in Viet Nam on the basis of ensuring economic efficiency; the continued exercise of measures to maintain stable growth rates in two-way trade to raise bilateral trade value to USD 3.5 billion and USD 5 billion in 2002 and 2005, respectively; and the expansion of bilateral cooperation in tourism, culture, education, science-technology, agriculture and hydro-meteorology.
On the occasion, the two countries signed an economic and technical cooperation agreement on China's provision of 50 million Chinese yuan in non-refundable aid and a framework agreement on China's provision of a preferential credit worth 50 million Chinese yuan.
The two sides highly valued the significance of the first Viet Nam-China land border marker planting ceremony in late December of 2001 as an important step forward in bringing the Treaty on land border into reality and laying the foundation for building a long-lasting, peaceful and friendly border line between the two countries. They affirmed their resolve to actively carry out the process of demarcating the land border by installing border markers as planned.
They expressed their determination to complete the settlement of issues relating to fisheries cooperation between the two countries in the Bac Bo (Tonkin) Gulf in order to bring the Agreement on Demarcation of the Bac Bo Gulf and the Agreement on Fisheries Cooperation into reality soon.
According to the communique, the two sides agreed to continue the current mechanism of negotiations on sea issues and persist in peaceful negotiations to find out a basic and lasting solution acceptable to both sides. While conducting negotiations, the two sides will abstain from any actions that may complicate the situation, will not use force or threathen to use force, and will promptly discuss and appropriately solve any differences that may arise in a constructive spirit. They pledged to exert further efforts to maintain peace and stability in the East Sea.
The two sides voiced their protest against all forms of terrorism and pledged to be ready to cooperate with the international community in anti-terrorism activities on the basis of the United Nations Charter and the fundamental principles of international laws, the communique says.
They highly evaluated the new steps of development in cooperative and neighbourly ties between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and China, affirming continued efforts in bolstering those relations, thus contributing to the maintenance of peace, stability, development and prosperity in the region and the world.
The Chinese Party and State leader, Jiang Zemin, invited Party General Secretary Nong Duc Manh and President Tran Duc Luong, of Viet Nam, to revisit China at their convenient time. Both Vietnamese leaders accepted the invitation with thanks, the communique also says.--VNA
