President affirms country’s devotion to deeper China ties

President Tran Duc Luong meets with Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao.

President Tran Duc Luong met for an exchange of views with Premier Wen Jiabao and Chairman of the Chinese National People’s Congress Wu Bangguo in Beijing yesterday, July 19.

During his talks with Premier Wen Jiabao, President Luong asserted that the Vietnamese Government and its people attached great importance to the traditional relations with China, adding that Vietnam would try its utmost to follow the guidelines of "friendly neighbourliness, comprehensive cooperation, durable stability, and future-orinted vision" and to treat China as a "good neighbour, good friend, good comrade, and good partner."

He thanked China for its efforts to conclude the bilateral negotiations for Vietnam’ s admission to the WTO during his visit to China . President Luong said he was delighted about the series of agreements obtained during the visit to Vietnam by Premier Wen Jiabao in October last year, which have been implemented positively and effectively.

The president also spoke highly of China’ s willingness to further open its market to Vietnamese commodities, particularly agricultural products, seafood and handicrafts.

President Luong said he hoped that Wen Jiabao would speed up cooperation on some large projects in the future, such as the second phase of the Thai Nguyen Steel Complex, mineral ore exploitation, and the bauxite project in Dac Nong.

President Luong affirmed that Vietnam was committed to supporting China and participating, in firming the ASEAN-China free trade area, while paying special attention to the economic corridors between the two countries.

He also said that China should increase its bilateral cooperation in culture, sports, education-training, science and technology.

Wen Jiabao agreed with his guest, and said he believed that Vietnam’s admission to the WTO would pave the way for further trade between the two sides, as well as for the implementation or projects on energy, natural resources and infrastructure building.

The premier said China also attached great importance to its relations with Vietnam . He added that the two countries should quickly complete landmarks along the border, strictly implement fisheries cooperation and delimit the Tonkin Gulf to ensure the two countries cooperation developed in a stable way.

He also affirmed that China would cooperate with Vietnam to expedite the bauxite exploitation project in Dac Nong, the building of a light railway in Hanoi , the expansion of the Thai Nguyen Steel Complex, and the construction of an urea fertiliser mill inBac Giang, amongst others.

At a meeting with the chairman of the Chinese National Peoples Congress, Wu Bangguo, on the same day, President Luong expressed happiness over the relations between the two national assemblies, which he said have been continuously consolidated, along with the advancing impetus of strong development between the two countries.

"He asserted that Vietnam and China had similar political systems, so strengthening the exchange and cooperation between the two legislative bodies played an important role in consolidating the socialist political system in each country.

President Luongs host, Wu Bangguo, also agreed with his opinions, saying that China greatly appreciated the relations with Vietnam in the spirit of the 16 letter guidelines and the four good relations.

He also agreed with President Luong about the necessity to develop deep relations between the two national assemblies. He said China was ready to help Vietnam with legislation once the country is admitted to the WTO.

(Source: Viet Nam News)