State President Vo Van Thuong, who was in China for the 3^th Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation (BRF), met with General Secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and President of China Xi Jinping in Beijing on October 20.

President Thuong congratulated China for successfully hosting the BRF.

He told his host that the Vietnamese Party, State, and people attach great importance to and consider the consolidation and development of Vietnam - China relations as a strategic choice and a top priority in foreign policy.

The Vietnamese leader proposed that both sides further elevate the Vietnam - China comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership while enhancing exchanges and meetings at all levels, and bolstering practical cooperation with a focus on economic and trade ties developing in a more sustainable and balanced manner.

He said it is necessary to promote the importation of each other’s goods, especially China’s importation of Vietnamese agricultural products, to bring practical benefits to farmers and consumers in the two countries and, according to the President, strengthen transport connectivity, accelerate the disbursement of Chinese assistance funds to Vietnam, and join hands to remove bottlenecks in several cooperative projects.

President Thuong suggested that the two countries work together to create favorable conditions for fruitfully growing bilateral relations, enhance communications work on the friendship, and organize more people-to-people exchanges so that citizens, especially young people, have a deeper and more complete understanding of the traditional friendship between the two countries.

He also called for concerted effort from both sides to effectively control and satisfactorily settle differences at sea, respect each other’s legitimate and legal interests in line with international law and the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and join hands with relevant countries to build the East Sea into a sea of peace, friendship, cooperation, and development.

President Xi, for his part, affirmed that China considers Vietnam a priority in its foreign policy, and supports its strong development and successful implementation of the industrialization and modernization process.

China treasured and highly evaluated General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee Nguyen Phu Trong’s visit to the Friendship International Border Gate, he said, adding that it showed the importance the Vietnamese Party and State have attached to Vietnam - China relations.

President Xi agreed to increase the exchange of delegations at all levels to enhance mutual understanding and consolidate political trust between the two sides.

Emphasizing the significance of practical cooperation for mutual benefit, President Xi affirmed that China is willing to promote the importation of goods from Vietnam, including agricultural products and industrial and manufacturing products.

The Chinese leader urged both sides to connect the Belt and Road Initiative with the “Two Corridors, One Belt” framework, build specific cooperation planning schemes, step up strategic cooperation in infrastructure development and transport connectivity, and share experience in reforming State-owned enterprises.

Both leaders highlighted the importance of increasing people-to-people exchanges and satisfactorily settling and controlling differences for peace and stability at sea and in the region.

The two also discussed several international and regional issues of mutual concern, and agreed to make efforts to promote peace, cooperation, and development in the region and the world.