Vietnamese Ambassador to China Pham Sao Mai (Photo: VNA)
Beijing (VNA) – Despite
the COVID-19 pandemic, the development trend in Vietnam - China relations have
still been sustained, according to Vietnamese Ambassador to China Pham Sao Mai.
The diplomat made the remark
during an interview granted to the Vietnam News Agency on the occasion of the
100th founding anniversary of the Communist Party of China (July 1).
He said the COVID-19 pandemic
has strongly affected cooperation among all countries around the world, and
Vietnam and China are no exception.
Prior to the outbreak, Party
and State leaders of the two countries frequently paid mutual visits while
direct exchanges between the Parties, governments, parliaments, the Vietnam
Fatherland Front and the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference,
ministries, sectors, localities, and socio-political organisations took place
constantly.
The coronavirus pandemic has
interrupted direct meetings and activities, tourism, aviation, and
people-to-people exchange. However, those difficulties are just temporary, and
the potential and demand for bilateral cooperation remain huge, Mai noted.
Vietnamese Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son (L) and Chinese State Councillor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi meet in Chongqing, China, on June 8 (Source: Ministry of Foreign Affairs)
Braving the pandemic-caused
difficulties, with both sides’ resolve, goodwill, and common efforts, the
Vietnamese and Chinese Parties, countries, and peoples have taken proactive and
creative actions to minimise the epidemic’s negative impacts. As a result, the
development trend in political relations has been maintained, economic and
trade ties have enjoyed impressive growth, and cooperation in the COVID-19
fight has been carried out effectively.
The ambassador elaborated
that high-level meetings have been organised in a flexible manner and political
trust enhanced. For the first time since the normalisation of their ties in
1991, within less than half a year after a National Congress of the Communist
Party of Vietnam, the top Party, State, Government, and parliamentary leaders
of the countries have conducted many phone talks, reaching many important
common perceptions about the intensification of the Vietnam - China
comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership in the new context.
Economic and trade links remain a bright spot, he said, citing data as showing
that in 2020, China continued to be the largest trading partner of Vietnam,
which in turn ranked first in ASEAN and fourth in the world among trading
partners of China.
Vietnam’s statistics show
that bilateral trade topped 133.09 billion USD in 2020 and hit 64.04 billion
USD in the first five months of 2021, respectively rising 13.8 percent and 44.3
percent year on year.
China registered 1.08 billion
USD for 61 new investment projects in Vietnam between January and April this
year, standing fourth among 67 countries and territories investing in the
latter during the period. With 3,192 valid projects worth 19.63 billion USD in
total, it currently ranks seventh among 140 countries and territories investing
in Vietnam.
Trade between Vietnam and China hit 64.04 billion USD in the first five months of 2021, up 44.3 percent year on year (Photo: VNA)
Meanwhile, Mai added, cooperation
in the COVID-19 combat has obtained substantive results. The two sides have
been assisted each other with medical supplies at all the State, locality, and
enterprise levels.
China also recently provided
Vietnam with 500,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine and pledged to continue the vaccine
provision via flexible forms so as to help the latter bring the pandemic under
control soon, he said.
Besides, bilateral coordination
at multilateral forums has been strengthened, and China has promised further
support for Vietnam to fulfil the role of a non-permanent member of the UN
Security Council for 2020 - 2021.
The two countries agreed to join
efforts to satisfactorily settle the outstanding problems in their relations,
the diplomat remarked, noting that Chinese leaders affirmed the importance they
attach to trade and investment ties with Vietnam and also expressed their wish
to develop the neighbourliness and friendship in a substantive and effective
manner to generate practical benefits for both peoples.
Regarding sea-related issues,
the two sides agreed on the need to have good control of disagreements,
satisfactorily deal with issues in line with international law, including the
1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), so as to contribute to
regional peace and stability, and promote the building of an effective and
substantive Code of Conduct (COC) in the East Sea, Mai said.
He held that in the time
ahead, the countries’ relevant agencies should push ahead with effectively
implementing the important common perceptions reached by their senior leaders,
increase high-level meetings, gradually resume aviation, tourism, and
people-to-people exchange on the basis of anti-pandemic requirements, and foster
economic, trade, and investment ties in a more balanced, stable, and
sustainable manner.
The ambassador voiced his
belief that thanks to the existing cooperation foundation and joint efforts by
both sides, the Vietnam - China comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership
will make greater strides in the time to come./.
VNA