President To Lam receives Chinese Ambassador Hung Ba

Photo caption — President To Lam receives Chinese Ambassador to Vietnam Hung Ba. Photo: Nhan Sang/VNA

Through Ambassador Hung Ba, President To Lam sent his sincere thanks to Chinese President Xi Jinping for his congratulations on the occasion of his election as President; affirmed his readiness to maintain, together with Comrade Xi Jinping, the tradition of regular exchanges and contacts between the high-ranking leaders of the two Parties and two countries.

The President expressed that Vietnam and China are neighbors linked by mountains and rivers, and the traditional friendship of “being both comrades and brothers” was built and nurtured by President Ho Chi Minh , Chairman Mao Zedong and generations of previous leaders of the two countries; it is a precious common asset of the two peoples that needs to be preserved, inherited and promoted well.

The President affirmed that Vietnam considers developing friendly and cooperative relations with China a strategic choice and a top priority in Vietnam's overall foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, multilateralization and diversification of foreign relations. The President highly appreciated Ambassador Hung Ba's important contributions to the relationship between the two Parties and the two countries.

Ambassador Hung Ba warmly congratulated President To Lam on being elected as President by the Vietnamese National Assembly; affirmed that the Party, Government and people of China attach importance to the friendly neighborly relationship and comprehensive cooperation with the Party, State and people of Vietnam, always considering this a priority direction in China's overall neighborly foreign policy; supported Vietnam in maintaining stability, promoting rapid development, smoothly implementing the development goals set by the 13th National Congress, and preparing for the 14th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam.

At the reception, President To Lam and Ambassador Hung Ba agreed to highly appreciate the strong developments in bilateral relations in recent times. In particular, after the historic mutual visits of General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong (October 2022) and General Secretary and President Xi Jinping (December 2023), the senior leaders of the two Parties and countries have established a new position, elevated bilateral relations, and agreed to jointly build a Vietnam-China Community of Shared Future of strategic significance. All levels, sectors, and localities of the two countries have been actively and proactively promoting the implementation of many exchange activities, creating a vibrant and substantive cooperative atmosphere in all fields.

Regarding the direction and tasks in the coming time, the President hopes that the two sides will closely coordinate on a number of key areas: maintaining exchanges and contacts at high and all levels, effectively implementing cooperation mechanisms; promoting and improving the effectiveness of substantive cooperation in various fields, promoting cross-border railway connections and cooperating in developing a number of standard gauge railway lines in the northern provinces of Vietnam; requesting China to continue opening its market for Vietnamese agricultural and aquatic products, fruits, livestock and poultry meat; continuing to deepen local cooperation and enhance friendly exchanges between organizations, people and young generations of the two countries.

Regarding the East Sea issue, President To Lam emphasized that the two sides need to seriously implement high-level agreements and common perceptions, better control and resolve disagreements at sea; respect each other's legitimate rights and interests, and actively seek appropriate solutions in accordance with international law, especially the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

Looking forward to the important milestone of 2025, the 75th anniversary of the establishment of Vietnam-China diplomatic relations, President To Lam suggested that both sides strive to promote and bring bilateral relations to new heights, making them increasingly more substantive and effective.

Expressing his sincere thanks for President To Lam's attention and guidance on developing relations between the two Parties and countries, Ambassador Hung Ba affirmed that the Chinese side will strive to effectively implement the high-level common perception, effectively deploy specific cooperation measures proposed by both sides; promote and further deepen mutually beneficial cooperation in all fields; better control and resolve disagreements at sea, and continuously develop the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership between China and Vietnam in a healthy and stable manner, bringing practical benefits to the people of the two countries.

Source: https://baotainguyenmoitruong.vn/chu-tich-nuoc-to-lam-tiep-dai-su-trung-quoc-hung-ba-375356.html