Full Text of China-Vietnam Joint Statement on Nong Duc Manh’s Visit to China

Text of report by official Chinese news agency Xinhua (New China News Agency)

[Apparent full text of the China-Vietnam Joint Statement on General Secretary Nong Duc Manh's visit to China; Xinhua headline: "(Foreign Affairs) China-Vietnam Joint Statement"]

Beijing, 1 Jun (Xinhua) – China-Vietnam Joint Statement

1. At the invitation of Hu Jintao, General Secretary of the CCP Central Committee and President of the People’s Republic of China, Nong Duc Manh, General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam [CPV], paid an official goodwill visit to the PRC between 30 May and 2 June 2008. During the visit, CCP Central Committee General Secretary and State President Hu Jintao held talks with General Secretary Nong Duc Manh, while Chairman Wu Bangguo of the Standing Committee of the Chinese National People’s Congress [NPC], Premier Wen Jiabao of the Chinese State Council, and Chairman Jia Qinglin of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference [CPPCC], separately met with General Secretary Nong Duc Manh. Chinese Vice-President Xi Jinping was present at relevant activities. General Secretary Nong Duc Manh also toured facilities of the Beijing Olympics and visited Jiangsu Province.

The two sides gave each other an account of the state of affairs of their party and country in a sincere [tancheng] and friendly atmosphere, they had an in-depth exchange of views on relations between the two parties and two countries as well as on international and regional issues of common concern, and they reached broad consensus. The two sides are of the same view that the visit has achieved complete success and that it will have positive and far-reaching impact on the all-round, in-depth development of China-Vietnam relations in the new period and on peace and development in this region and in the world at large.

2. The two sides stress that choosing their respective socialist path of development with each country’s own characteristics is the right choice, and making this right choice is in the fundamental interests of their people. Vietnam spoke highly of China’s splendid achievements in the reform and opening up over the last 30 years and it firmly believes that the Chinese people can certainly score new, greater achievements in building socialism with Chinese characteristics and triumphantly realize the goal of building a well- off society [xiao kang she hui] in an all-round way. China highly appraises Vietnam’s major achievement of historical significance in the cause of reform, and it firmly believes that the Vietnamese people can surely score new, greater achievements in the cause of socialist construction and triumphantly realize the goal of making the people well-off and the country strong with social equality, democracy, and civility.

Vietnam extends profound sympathy and sincere condolences for the heavy losses and casualties in the massive earthquake that hit China’s Sichuan Province. It believes the brotherly Chinese people can surely overcome the disaster and rebuild their homeland at an early date. It appreciates the outstanding preparatory work of the Chinese government and people for hosting the Beijing Olympics, and it will continue to provide full support of the Chinese efforts. China expresses sincere thanks for Vietnam’s friendship and support as mentioned above.

3. The two sides express satisfaction with the great successes scored by the two parties and two countries in their good- neighbourly and all-round cooperative relations in recent years. They reaffirm that the traditional friendship between China and Vietnam, a valuable wealth of the two parties, two countries, and two peoples, should be meticulously protected and continuously carried forward. The two sides agree to develop the China-Vietnam full-range strategic cooperative partnership, always firmly keep to the correct orientation in developing relations between the two countries, and ensure their long-term, stable, and healthy advance under the guiding principle of “long-term stability, orientation towards the future, good-neighbourliness and friendship, and all- round cooperation” and in the spirit of becoming “good neighbours, good friends, good comra des, and good partners.” The two sides pledge to continue supporting and helping each other in all fields to enhance all-round mutual trust, deepen mutually beneficial cooperation, promote joint development, and triumphantly push forward each country’s socialist construction. In the spirit of “proceeding from the overall interest of their relations and conducting friendly consultation to achieve fair, reasonable, and mutually beneficial win-win outcomes,” the two countries will earnestly implement the consensus reached between the two countries’ leaders, actively cooperate, and appropriately handle and resolve the existing problems in their relations. The two countries will strengthen coordination and support in international and regional affairs to move forward the building of lasting peace and common prosperity in Asia and the world.

4. The two sides stress that they will continue the fine traditions of maintaining close high-level contact between the two parties and two countries, announcing the establishment of a hotline between their leaders. The two sides agree to bring into full play the role of the China-Vietnam Bilateral Cooperation Steering Committee in make overall planning and all-round promoting cooperation between the two countries in various fields, to set up an exchange and cooperation mechanism between the relevant departments of the two parties’ Central Committees, to deepen the exchange of theoretical and practical experience on socialism as well as on managing the country and building the party, to continue doing a good job of sponsoring theoretical symposiums of the two parties, to boost cooperation in training party and government cadres, to promote efficient use of cooperation mechanism between foreign affairs, national defence, public security and national security departments of the two countries, to expand practical cooperation in economic, trade, science and technology, culture and education areas, to vigorously expand friendly exchange between young people and non-governmental organizations, and to cooperate in propaganda and education drive regarding the two peoples’ traditional friendship.

5. The two sides express satisfaction with the good development momentum emerging in economic cooperation and trade between the two countries in recent years, and they agree to continue successful implementation of the Agreement on Expanding and Deepening Bilateral Economic Cooperation and Trade, step up consultation on signing and implementing a China-Vietnam Five-Year Development Plan for Economic and Trade Cooperation, determine key cooperation areas and projects, and take additional steps to elevate the scale and level of economic cooperation and trade. The two sides agree to actively open new trade growth points, maintain fast growth in bilateral trade volumes, and at the same time adopt effective measures to improve trade structure to realize balanced development in bilateral trade in the spirit of complementing each other with their advantages and aiming for a win-win result to everyone’s benefit. The two sides will actively support and push enterprises of the two countries to carry out long-term mutually beneficial cooperation in infrastructure, manufacturing, human resources development, energy, mineral processing, and other important sectors. The two countries will step up cooperation in Dak Nong aluminium mining projects, projects within the framework of the “Two Corridors and One Ring” [referring to the "Kunming -Laojie -Hanoi -Hai Phong -Quang Ninh" and "Nanning -Liangshan -Hanoi -Hai Phong -Quang Ninh" economic corridors and the Beibu Bay economic rim], and other major projects. The two sides reiterate that they will strengthen cooperation in the WTO and other regional, trans-regional, and international economic mechanisms. The two sides signed an Agreement Between the Government of the People’s Republic of China and the Government of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam on Cooperation in Plant Protecti on and Quarantine, an Agreement Between the Government of the People’s Republic of China and the Government of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam on Cooperation Regarding Strengthening Animal Quarantine and Health, and relevant economic cooperation and trade agreements, including an agreement under which China will provide favourable loans and export buyer’s credit to Vietnam.

6. The two sides express satisfaction with the basic completion of their land border survey work and agree to further coordinate with each other closely to actively resolve the remaining issues, earnestly accelerate the process to ensure the accomplishment within this year the goal of completing boundary survey and the erection of boundary markers along the land border between China and Vietnam as scheduled, and sign documents at an early date on a new boundary management system, in order to build the land border into a boundary of peace, friendship and cooperation between the two countries. Efforts will continue to successfully implement the Beibu Bay Demarcation Agreement and the Agreement on Fishery Cooperation in Beibu Bay, to carry out joint inspection of the fishing zone, a joint survey of fishery resources, and joint navy patrols, to accelerate the implementation of the Framework Agreement on Oil and Natural Gas Cooperation in Agreed Zones in the Beibu Bay, and to strive to achieve substantial results in cross-border surveys and the exploration of oil and natural gas deposits. Efforts will be made to maintain normal fishery production order and to actively carry out fishing, environmental and maritime rescue cooperation. Efforts will be made to steadily push forward talks on demarcation in maritime zones outside the mouth of Beibu Bay and to actively discuss the issue of joint development and to launch a joint survey as soon as possible in these maritime zones. The two sides agree to abide by the relevant consensus between the two countries’ top leaders, to jointly maintain stability in the situation in South China Sea, to retain the mechanism of negotiations on maritime issues, to uphold the use of peaceful negotiations to search for basic and long-term solutions acceptable to both sides, and at the same time to actively study and discuss the issue of joint development to find a suitable model and areas.

7. Vietnam reiterates its firm adherence to the one-China policy, its support of the great cause of China’s reunification, and its firm opposition to “Taiwan independence” separatist activities in any form. Vietnam will never have any official relationship with Taiwan. China expresses appreciation of Vietnam’s aforementioned position.

8. The two sides express satisfaction with the two countries’ cooperation in international and regional affairs. They reiterate that they will continue strengthening coordination and support within the United Nations, the APEC, and the China-ASEAN multilateral frameworks to jointly safeguard and promote world peace, prosperity, and development.

9. General Secretary Nong Duc Manh expresses sincere thanks to General Secretary and President Hu Jintao, the CCP, the Chinese government, and the Chinese people for their grand, warm, and friendly reception and invites General Secretary and President Hu Jintao to pay another visit to Vietnam at an early date. Hu Jintao expresses thanks for the invitation and has accepted it with pleasure.

Originally published by Xinhua news agency domestic service, Beijing, in Chinese 1100 1 Jun 08.

(c) 2008 BBC Monitoring Asia Pacific. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.