Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung on June
18 hosted a reception for visiting Chinese State Councillor Yang Jiechi who is
in Hanoi for a meeting between the Chairs of the Steering Committee for
Bilateral Cooperation between the two countries.
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Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung receives
Chinese State Councillor Yang Jiechi
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PM Dung said pursuing a consistent external relation policy,
the Vietnamese Party, State and people always remember and are grateful for the
great support and help of China. He affirmed that Vietnam attaches importance
to the maintenance and development of the comprehensive cooperation on an equal
and mutually-benefiting basis for mutual development between Vietnam and China.
The PM noted that in particular, during Chinese Premier Li
Keqiang’s visit to Vietnam last year, the two sides reached a number of
specific agreements to further their cooperation, including the formation of
three working groups on cooperation in infrastructure, finance-monetary and
discussion for cooperation for mutual development at sea in the framework of
the Governmental Negotiation Team on Vietnam-China Boundary and Territory.
Leaders of both countries also agreed that during the search
for a basic and long-term solution to sea-related issues, the two sides would
work together to keep control of the situation and not make any move that could
expand disputes, while promptly and suitably dealing with any arising problems
to prevent them from affecting the development cooperation between the two
countries, said PM Dung.
Regarding China’s placement of its drilling rig Haiyang
Shiyou-981 deep inside Vietnam’s waters, PM Dung reiterated Vietnam’s
consistent stance as stated during bilateral communications at different levels
over the past time and at the talks earlier on June 18 between Deputy Prime
Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh and State Councillor Yang Jiechi.
Dung made clear that China’s act seriously violates Vietnam’s
sovereignty and the agreements reached between leaders of both countries as
well as infringes international law, the 1982 United Nations Conventions on the
Law of the Sea and the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties on the East Sea
(DOC).
China’s act also threatens peace, stability, security and
safety of navigation and aviation in the region, while causing indignation and
hurting the sentiments of Vietnamese people, putting negative impacts on the
cooperation between the two Parties and countries, stated PM Dung.
PM Dung requested China to withdraw its rig and ships from
Vietnam’s waters and join talks for the settlement of disputes and differences
between the two countries by peaceful measures in accordance with international
law and the common perception of the two countries’ leaders.
The PM added that at the same time, the two sides should
control the situation to prevent conflicts while maintaining contact and talks
to solve the current disputes.
At the same time, the PM said Vietnam will resolutely
struggle to defend its sovereignty by peaceful measures in line with
international law.
Regarding the Chinese State Councillor’s opinion on the
security and safety of Chinese businesses and citizens, PM Dung said in a
number of Vietnamese localities, some people took advantage of rallies
protesting China’s illegal placement of its oil rig in Vietnam’s waters to
break the law, causing damage to some foreign-invested enterprises including
Chinese-invested businesses. The PM affirmed that the incidences are
regrettable and undesirable, adding that the Vietnamese government has promptly
put an end to the violations, stabilised the situation and strictly punished
the law violators while taking timely measures to support the affected
businesses. All affected enterprises have resumed normal production and
business activities, he said.
For the sake of common interest of both countries, PM Dung
said the two sides need to maintain existing cooperation mechanisms and hold
the seventh session of the steering committee on bilateral cooperation soon to
discuss concrete measures to push forward the cooperation between the two
countries, especially in the fields of economics, trade, investment and
tourism.
State Councillor Yang Jiechi informed PM Dung about the
outcomes of his talks with Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh
Minh. He affirmed that the Party, Government and people of China attach
importance to and have never changed the motto of friendship in the relations
with Vietnam.
Yang Jiechi presented China’s stance on the dispute at sea
and voiced agreement that the two sides continue to maintain discussion
channels and bilateral contact to solve the current tensions while promoting the
existing bilateral cooperation in different fields.
Source: VNA
