Immediately following an extensive tour of South East Asian nations, which included both bilateral visits and meetings as well as participation in regional and international fora, on July 13, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi held the 14th meeting of the China-Vietnam Steering Committee for Bilateral Cooperation in Nanning, capital of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, together with Pham Binh Minh, Vietnam’s Standing Deputy Prime Minister.
Citing the two countries special friendship, Wang Yi said that their two parties should “provide strong theoretical support for the development of the socialist cause of the two countries.”
Pham Binh Minh said, “China and Vietnam are brotherly and friendly neighbors with the same socialist cause, and also comprehensive strategic cooperative partners. Vietnam sticks to the leadership of the Communist Party of Vietnam and the path of socialism, and pursues an independent, all-round and diversified foreign policy. Relations with China are the top priority of Vietnam’s foreign policy, and it’s Vietnam’s strategic choice to develop friendly relations with China.”
The next day, Wang Yi held the Sixth Meeting of the China-Cambodia Intergovernmental Coordination Committee via video link, together with Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister Hor Namhong. Wang noted that next year will see the 65th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Cambodia, and added:
“China and Cambodia have built a community with a shared future under the guidance of high-level exchanges, strengthened solidarity and mutual assistance with the goal of safeguarding common interests, deepened mutually beneficial cooperation in a people-centered approach, and strengthened multilateral coordination and collaboration with the purpose of championing international fairness and justice, thus consolidating political mutual trust and cementing the foundation for strategic cooperation. Facts have proved that the building of a China-Cambodia community with a shared future serves the fundamental and long-term interests of the two peoples, meets the trend of the times, and conforms to the big picture of peace and stability in the region, thus representing a completely right direction.”
The following reports were first carried on the website of the Chinese Foreign Ministry.
The 14th Meeting of the China-Vietnam Steering Committee for Bilateral Cooperation Is Held
On July 13, 2022, the 14th Meeting of the China-Vietnam Steering Committee for Bilateral Cooperation was held in Nanning, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. The meeting was co-chaired by State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Vietnamese Standing Deputy Prime Minister Pham Binh Minh, and attended by officials in charge of relevant ministries, commissions, and local governments from both sides in an online and offline format.
Wang Yi said, General Secretary Xi Jinping and General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong have maintained strategic communication to steer bilateral relations. All departments of both sides have made joint efforts to continuously push for new progress in practical cooperation. This year, both China and Vietnam have important domestic political agendas. It’s important to strengthen coordination in a holistic approach, and make joint efforts in the direction of building a strategic community with a shared future. Facing the risks and challenges on the way forward and the arduous tasks of reform and development, we should inherit and carry forward the special friendship, consolidate solidarity and mutual trust, and deepen mutually beneficial cooperation, so as to serve respective national construction and development, and make greater contributions to peace, stability and prosperity in the region.
Wang Yi put forward proposals on strengthening bilateral cooperation. First, highlight the guidance. We should elevate the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership between the two countries to new heights under the guidance of the important consensus reached by the high-level leaders of the two parties and the two countries. Second, work for more strategic significance. We should deepen experience-sharing on state governance, and strengthen exchanges between legislative bodies and between the two parties, so as to provide strong theoretical support for the development of the socialist cause of the two countries. Third, demonstrate pragmatism. We should give play to the geographical proximity and complementary industrial advantages of the two countries, further release dividends of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, and work to upgrade the economic and trade cooperation between the two countries. Fourth, encourage innovation. We should strengthen cooperation in climate change, green development, photovoltaics, and clean energy, among others. Fifth, maintain stability. We should strengthen people-to-people and cultural exchanges to cement the foundation of public support for the friendship between the two countries.
Pham Binh Minh said, the Vietnamese side congratulates Chinese comrades on the great achievements that captured the attention of the world in advancing the cause of national development, the successful convening of the sixth plenary session of the 19th Central Committee of the Community Party of China (CPC), the successful hosting of the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022, and the effective management and control of the resurgence of the pandemic in some areas. By scoring these achievements, China has laid a solid foundation for realizing better development and also made positive contributions to promoting solidarity and progress in the world. He believes that under the strong leadership of General Secretary and President Xi Jinping, China will achieve its second centenary goal on schedule. He wishes the 20th National Congress of the CPC a complete success.
Pham Binh Minh said, China and Vietnam are brotherly and friendly neighbors with the same socialist cause, and also comprehensive strategic cooperative partners. Vietnam sticks to the leadership of the Communist Party of Vietnam and the path of socialism, and pursues an independent, all-round and diversified foreign policy. Relations with China are the top priority of Vietnam’s foreign policy, and it’s Vietnam’s strategic choice to develop friendly relations with China. Thanks to the joint efforts of both sides, bilateral relations have maintained a sound momentum of development, and cooperation has yielded fruitful outcomes with many highlights. Guided by the consensus reached by the high-level leaders of the two parties and the two countries, Vietnam is ready to maintain close high-level exchanges, consolidate strategic mutual trust, promote cooperation in various fields, help the two countries smoothly advance respective major political agendas, and further demonstrate the strategic significance and rich connotations of bilateral relations.
Wang Yi said, the 20th National Congress of the CPC is the most important agenda in the political life of the CPC and China this year, and it will surely be a congress featuring solidarity, victory and progress. The congress will inject fresh and strong impetus into the Chinese people’s new journey towards building a modern socialist country and realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation at a faster pace.
Wang Yi said, the traditional friendship featuring comradeship and brotherhood, and the common mission of sticking to the leadership of communist parties and pursuing a socialist path are powerful endogenous driving forces for the development of China-Vietnam relations. Under the current situation, both sides should firmly push forward the respective goals of development and revitalization, stay committed to the socialist path, firmly develop the China-Vietnam friendship, safeguard the common strategic interests of the two countries, and join hands to cope with changes in the regional situation and global challenges.
The two sides took stock of the positive outcomes of bilateral pragmatic cooperation, and agreed to step up synergy to turn the consensus into concrete actions that promote cooperation.
The two sides will seek greater synergy between development strategies, and advance cooperation on connectivity, the Belt and Road Initiative, and the “Two Corridors and One Economic Circle” strategy at a faster pace.
The two sides spoke highly of the bilateral trade that witnessed positive growth against an overall downward trend, and will explore the establishment of a mechanism for jointly ensuring and promoting the stability of industrial and supply chains. The two sides will strengthen port construction and facilitate customs clearance.
The two sides will strengthen exchanges and cooperation in agriculture, pandemic response, emerging industries, news media and other fields.
The two sides will properly handle sensitive maritime issues and work for more visible outcomes of maritime cooperation.
The two sides will enhance solidarity and coordination in regional and international affairs, stick to the ASEAN-led and effective regional cooperation architecture, uphold true multilateralism, and act on open regionalism.
After the meeting, the two sides jointly announced the signing of an agreement on economic and technological cooperation, as well as cooperation documents on agriculture, marine environment and maritime cooperation, among others.
The Sixth Meeting of the China-Cambodia Intergovernmental Coordination Committee Is Held
On July 14, 2022, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister Hor Namhong co-chaired the sixth meeting of the China-Cambodia Intergovernmental Coordination Committee, which was held via video link.
Wang Yi said, under the strategic guidance of President Xi Jinping and Cambodian leaders, China and Cambodia have strengthened coordination in a holistic approach, pushing for constant and new outcomes of all-round cooperation between the two countries. Next year will mark the 65th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Cambodia, and the first five-year action plan of building a China-Cambodia community with a shared future will be completed. China is ready to work with Cambodia to keep bilateral cooperation always at the forefront of the times, so as to make it better serve the respective national development and more vigorously promote development and prosperity in the region.
Hor Namhong said, Cambodia firmly pursues the one-China principle, firmly supports the Global Development Initiative and the Global Security Initiative put forward by President Xi Jinping, and wishes the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China a complete success.
Hor Namhong said, Cambodia and China have made remarkable progress in fully implementing the action plan of a China-Cambodia community with a shared future. He thanked China for providing large quantities of vaccines and other anti-pandemic materials, which have provided a strong guarantee for Cambodia to effectively control the pandemic and realize economic recovery. He thanked China for bringing tangible benefits to the Cambodian people by helping Cambodia maintain stability and improve people’s well-being. Cambodia is firmly committed to building a Cambodia-China community with a shared future and consolidating the “iron-clad” friendship between Cambodia and China, so as to better benefit the two countries and two peoples.
Wang Yi stressed, China and Cambodia have built a community with a shared future under the guidance of high-level exchanges, strengthened solidarity and mutual assistance with the goal of safeguarding common interests, deepened mutually beneficial cooperation in a people-centered approach, and strengthened multilateral coordination and collaboration with the purpose of championing international fairness and justice, thus consolidating political mutual trust and cementing the foundation for strategic cooperation. Facts have proved that the building of a China-Cambodia community with a shared future serves the fundamental and long-term interests of the two peoples, meets the trend of the times, and conforms to the big picture of peace and stability in the region, thus representing a completely right direction. The two sides should firm up confidence, remove interference, and write a new chapter in the high-quality development of bilateral relations in the new era, with building a community with a shared future in a more comprehensive and in-depth way as the main task.
Taking stock of the implementation of the consensus reached at the fifth meeting of the China-Cambodia Intergovernmental Coordination Committee, the two sides were satisfied with the fruitful outcomes of solidarity and mutually beneficial cooperation between the two countries, and also made plans for cooperation in the next stage:
First, maintain high-level strategic coordination. The two sides will formulate a new action plan for building a China-Cambodia community with a shared future, and advance exchanges and cooperation in various fields in a coordinated manner.
Second, step up efforts to ensure political security. The two sides will deepen experience-sharing on state governance, and firmly support each other in safeguarding core interests and pursuing a development path in line with respective national conditions.
Third, cement the foundation for pragmatic cooperation. The two sides will advance key projects of high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, continue to fight the pandemic together, and expand cooperation in economy, trade, agriculture and other fields.
Fourth, consolidate the foundation of public support for the friendship. More flights between the two countries will be opened to facilitate the return of Cambodian students to China to continue their education. The two sides will well implement livelihood projects, and strengthen cooperation in fields such as science and technology, education, culture and tourism, as well as among think tanks.
Fifth, strengthen coordination and cooperation in multilateral affairs. The two sides will stick to the ASEAN-led regional cooperation architecture, and resist any attempts to turn East Asian cooperation platforms into an arena for major-power rivalry. China supports Cambodia in playing a greater role in international and regional affairs and in performing its duties as the rotating chair of ASEAN.
After the meeting, the two sides jointly announced the signing of cooperation documents on human resources and infrastructure, among others.
