Vietnam, China hold talks on East Vietnam Sea issues

A series of bilateral negotiations took place in Vung Tau, Ho Chi Minh City, from June 2 to June 5, reported the World and Vietnam Report under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The meetings included the 18th round of talks of the working group on maritime areas beyond the mouth of the Gulf of Tonkin, the 15th round of discussions of the working group on cooperation for mutual development at sea, and the 18th round of negotiations of the working group on cooperation in less sensitive maritime fields between Vietnam and China.

The Vietnamese delegation was led by Nguyen Dang Thang, chair of the National Boundary Commission under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The Chinese delegation was headed by Hu Wei, representative for boundary and ocean affairs of China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The two sides held in-depth exchanges in a sincere and friendly atmosphere on the agendas of the respective working groups.

Both countries agreed to promote efforts toward the delimitation of maritime areas beyond the Gulf of Tonkin and to advance discussions on cooperation for mutual maritime development with the aim of achieving substantive progress.

They also pledged to actively expand cooperation in less sensitive maritime areas in accordance with international law, particularly the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

The delegations also conducted frank and practical discussions on the current maritime situation.

They underlined the need to fully implement the common understandings reached by the senior leaders of the two Parties and countries, as well as the agreement on basic principles guiding the settlement of maritime issues between Vietnam and China.

Both sides agreed to make greater efforts to effectively manage and resolve maritime differences while jointly safeguarding peace and stability in the East Vietnam Sea and the region.

These efforts would contribute to deepening the Vietnam-China Comprehensive Strategic Cooperative Partnership.

Vietnam and China agreed to hold the next round of negotiations in China at a mutually convenient time.