Vietnam and China have agreed not to intensify the situation in the East Vietnam Sea during a meeting between the two nations’ high ranking diplomats.

Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Pham Binh Minh and Chinese State Councilor Yang Jiechi co-chaired the ninth meeting of the Vietnam-China steering committee in Hanoi, discussing bilateral cooperation and sea disputes on Monday morning.   

The two officials said that Hanoi and Beijing would not complicate the situation in the East Vietnam Sea.

Minh and Yang praised the accomplishments achieved in the two countries’ collaboration in the past year and agreed on boosting political trust, maintaining exchanges between high-ranking delegations, enhancing practical ties, and executing cooperation plans between the two Parties for the 2016-20 period.

Focus will be directed to the coordination between authorities of ministerial and local levels in the fields of diplomacy, defense, security, law, among others.

The two sides also reached consensus on the management of order and safety and border areas, which helps contribute to economic cooperation and sustainable development.

Regarding the East Vietnam Sea issue, the two diplomats stressed the importance of following the agreements and common perceptions established by leaders of the two Parties to manage differences via negotiation and amicable solutions.

They also consented not to intensify existing disputes, respecting international law, namely the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Vietnam Sea (DOC), and expediting the establishment of a Code of Conduct (COC) for the maritime area.

Minh and Yang witnessed the signing of several documents at the meeting, including China’s US$19.5 million worth of support for a joint construction project and the establishment of the Chinese Consulate General in the central city of Da Nang.

The top Chinese diplomat also met with General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Nguyen Phu Trong in the afternoon.

Trong stated that the Vietnamese Party and state had always respected the friendly relationship and cooperation with China, emphasizing the significance of increasing political trust as well as ensuring regional peace and stability for the sake of each other’s development.

During talks with Yang later the same day, Vietnamese State President Tran Dai Quang reiterated the agreements signed by the two nations’ leaders with regard to sea disputes.

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