Hanoi is deeply concerned over the escalating disputes in the East Vietnam Sea and their potential consequences, according to Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Hoai Trung.

The statement was announced during the annual meeting between Deputy Minister Trung and his Chinese counterpart Liú Zhènmín scheduled for April 16-17 in Ho Chi Minh City and Phu Quoc, an island off the southern Vietnamese province of Kien Giang.

The talks were aimed at cementing the multifaceted cooperation between Vietnam and China and discussing issues related to borders and territories of the two nations.

Deputy Minister Trung expressed Hanoi’s concern over the escalating disputes in the East Vietnam Sea as well as the implications of the complicated progression of situations in the waterway.

The Vietnamese diplomat requested that Beijing comply with the agreements and common perceptions established by the two Parties and states, especially the agreement on the basic principles for directly solving maritime issues between Vietnam and China.

Trung also urged China not to carry out any activities that intensify the situation in the East Vietnam Sea and to settle differences with peaceful measures, in accordance with international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Vietnam Sea (DOC).

In addition, he expressed hope that the two countries, in coordination with other ASEAN member states, will soon establish a code of conduct for the sea.

ASEAN is short for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, which is a political and economic organization whose members include Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.

Regarding Vietnam-China bilateral relations, the two deputy ministers agreed that there have been positive developments in the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership of the two nations in the past year.

The two sides will enhance exchanges and meetings between high-ranking officials to strengthen political trust and friendship, and to effectively manage and resolve all disagreements.

In terms of economic and trade matters, Hanoi and Beijing reached consensus on the realization of practical measures to boost the sustainable, balanced and stable development of bilateral trade, and to expedite projects on infrastructure, industrial parks and factories.

China’s provision of loans and financial support for Vietnam and cooperation between localities of the two countries were also addressed during the meeting.

Deputy Minister Trung extended his gratitude to Chinese authorities for releasing water from hydropower dams to alleviate drought and salinization in Vietnam’s Mekong Delta.

The two countries agreed to continue the role of the Vietnam-China Land Border Joint Committee to maintain stability, cooperation and development in border regions.

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