National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan’s official visit to China from July 8-12 has contributed to consolidating and developing the Vietnam-China traditional friendship and comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership in a stable, healthy and sustainable manner, said a senior legislator.

While in Beijing, NA Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan holds talks with Chairman
of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress of China Li Zhanshu.
(Photo: VNA)

Chairman of the NA’s Committee for External Affairs Nguyen Van Giau, who accompanied the NA Chairwoman, told the press that the visit was a success as it has helped to reinforce and boost bilateral cooperation more practically and effectively.  

The trip aimed to continue implementing common perceptions and high-level agreements reached by senior Vietnamese and Chinese leaders, he said. 

While in Beijing, NA Chairwoman Ngan held talks with Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress of China Li Zhanshu and attended an official banquet hosted by Li. 

She also met with General Secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and President of China Xi Jinping and Chairman of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference Wang Yang. 

During these meetings, the two sides highlighted the fruitful relations between the two Parties, States and people.

Ngan suggested holding regular working sessions and meetings at different levels between Vietnamese and Chinese legislatures to share professional experience, and called on the Chines side to maintain coordination mechanisms, especially between the two law-making bodies. 

Besides, the two countries should further support each other at multilateral forums, she said. 

For his part, Xi said Chinese Party and State leaders highly valued Ngan’s visit, expressing his hope that there will be model projects on economic cooperation between Vietnam and China in the time ahead. 

Speaking highly of collaboration between the Vietnamese NA and the National People’s Congress of China, Xi said it has significantly contributed to promoting the relationship between the two countries.

The Chinese leader lauded the sharing of experience between the two legislatures in order to perfect policies and laws, meeting development requirements of both countries in the new period. 

He used the occasion to express his thanks to General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and President Nguyen Phu Trong for his support to the Chinese candidate for the post of Director General of the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations. 

Regarding maritime issues, the two sides shared a view that Vietnam and China have made efforts to bring into full play their consensus in maritime cooperation and restrain differences. 

They pledged to pursue peaceful methods and observe international law, especially the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) 1982. 

On economic cooperation, Ngan said the Vietnamese and Chinese Governments should join hands to effectively implement signed agreements and highly evaluated the bilateral economic ties. 

Vietnam is China’s leading trade partner in Southeast Asia while China is Vietnam’s biggest trade partner in the world, with two-way trade reaching 150 billion USD in 2018, she said, urging the two sides to ease Vietnam’s trade deficit in order to balance bilateral trade. 

Xi affirmed China’s support to Vietnam as well as investors and traders of the two countries in handling the existing trade surplus problem. 

During the trip, Ngan received leaders of many leading Chinese businesses, who expressed their wish to invest in Vietnam in order to prove their capacity to carry out projects in the Southeast Asian nation. 

The Chinese side also shared its experience in the Party building work, Giau said, adding that Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress (NPC) Li Zhanshu unveiled efforts of the Communist Party of China in fighting corruption and handling shortcomings in the Party building work. 

The two legislative bodies pledged to continue the exchange of visits between their high-ranking leaders, agencies, friendship parliamentary groups, and legislators. 

In the framework of the visit, Ngan had a working session with Chairman of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) Wang Yang, during which the two sides shared their experience in an open-minded manner.

The Chinese side hailed Vietnam’s experience in coordination between the NA Standing Committee and the Presidium of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee, especially in issues related to meeting with voters and listening to their aspirations, and in addressing issues related to complaints. 

Meanwhile, Xi agreed with Ngan’s proposal on the need to support and encourage Chinese and Vietnamese localities, especially those in border areas, to promote the role of existing cooperation mechanisms, towards expanding their economic, trade, investment and tourism ties.

While highlighting the important role of people-to-people diplomacy, the leaders said if the work is well done, it will help enhance mutual understanding and right perceptions among the Chinese and Vietnamese people, thus strengthening the Vietnam-China friendship and comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership. 

During the trip, the top Vietnamese legislator also visited Nanjing city and Suzhou city of Jiangsu province, during which she said Vietnam encourages Chinese enterprises, especially those has great scales and potential in capital and hi-technology, and prestige to invest in Vietnam, Giau added.