Deep Dive into Xi's Vietnam Visit & China-Vietnam Joint Statement
Here are the key reports and articles that I found noteworthy from the People's Daily’s edition on Thursday, December 14, 2023.
Page 1: A lot of the paper today is dedicated to Xi Jinping’s visit to Vietnam. It also carries the joint statement issued after the visit. The lead story (English version) on the page is about Xi’s speech, which is published on Page 2, at a meeting with representatives of young Chinese and Vietnamese and people who have contributed to China-Vietnam Friendship. The full English version is available via Xinhua.
Xi said that the decision to “build a China-Vietnam community with a shared future that carries strategic significance…is a major strategic decision we have made to revitalize world socialism and ensure long-term stability and security of our two countries.” Xi then talked about key moments from the past before highlighting the breadth and depth of China-Vietnam ties in recent times.
“Our two sides have fully leveraged the role of coordination of the steering committee for bilateral cooperation, which made sure more than 30 cooperation mechanisms such as the party-to-party theoretical symposium, the Border Defense Friendship Exchange, and the meeting on crime control between the two public security ministries play their due role. All these efforts have enabled us to share practices and engage in cooperation on Party and country governance, and these efforts have injected strong impetus into the industrialization and modernization endeavors of both countries.”
“China has long been the largest trading partner of Vietnam, and Vietnam is China's largest trading partner in ASEAN and the fourth largest trading partner in the world. With the launch of China-Vietnam cross-border freight train service and the smart port program, our land border ports have become rapidly interconnected. Large quantities of quality Vietnamese agricultural products, including lychee, durian and dragon fruit, are exported to China. Raw materials and machinery equipment imported from China have boosted the development of Vietnam’s manufacturing sector and its export capacity. Close to 20 million trips have been made on the Cat Linh-Ha Dong metro line built by a Chinese company, which has provided a convenient and comfortable means of travels for Hanoi residents. The largest overseas photovoltaic industrial cluster built by Chinese companies is located in Vietnam. This, together with many waste-to-energy plants built with Chinese investment and by Chinese companies in Hanoi and other cities, has supplied energy much needed for Vietnam’s industrialization and modernization.”
Xi then talked about GDI, GSI and GCI, reiterating that “we are now striving to build China into a great modern socialist country in all respects and advance the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation on all fronts by pursuing Chinese modernization. What we are pursuing is not modernization just for China itself. We will stay committed to peaceful development, the policy of forging friendships and partnerships with neighbors, and the principles of amity, sincerity, mutual benefit and inclusiveness. And we are ready to share more of the benefits of Chinese modernization with our neighbors.”
He then ended with three wishes, where he said this:
“Our two countries have made tremendous achievement through, respectively, China's reform and opening up and Vietnam’s Doi Moi (reform) policy. This is credited not only to our own endeavors, but also to a peaceful, open and inclusive Asia Pacific. The Asia Pacific is the place which we call home. It is a source of power driving global growth. Openness, inclusiveness and mutually beneficial cooperation are the right course to follow. We should strive to build an Asia Pacific community, create more momentum to boost solidarity and make advances, and make greater contributions to making Asia Pacific more harmonious and prosperous.”
“Our two Parties are both Marxist parties that bear in mind the overall interests of the world, and our two countries are both responsible members of the international community. And both of us should play a major role in advancing human progress. To build a community with a shared future for mankind is an inspiring goal, a goal that requires generations of efforts to achieve. We should be visionary, look beyond the horizon and shoulder responsibilities entrusted upon us by the times, stand up for international fairness and justice, and contribute our share to global development.”
Next, there’s a report on Xi meeting Vietnam President Vo Van Thuong. The English readout says:
Xi said that the decision on building a China-Vietnam community with a shared future that carries strategic significance was a “major historic decision” that was made “bearing in mind the larger interests of the long-term development of China-Vietnam relations and the strategic overall picture of solidarity of socialist forces in the world.” The readout then makes five points:
First, it is important to strengthen political guidance and rally strategic consensus on building a China-Vietnam community with a shared future.
Second, it is important to enhance solidarity and coordination to safeguard the China-Vietnam community with a shared future. China and Vietnam are both socialist countries under the leadership of a communist party. It is their shared responsibility and mission to safeguard the security of the political system and defend the cause of socialism. The two sides should strengthen solidarity, stay committed to openness and mutual benefits, jointly guard against external infiltration and sabotage attempts, and make due contributions to strengthening world socialist forces and promoting peace and progress of humanity.
Third, “the two sides need to strengthen top-level design, ensure the sound implementation of the outline program for synergizing the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and the Two Corridors and One Economic Circle strategy, speed up infrastructure connectivity, and expand the export of quality agricultural products from Vietnam to China. Cooperation should also be enhanced in digital economy and green development to explore new growth drivers for bilateral practical cooperation.”
Fourth, it is important to better communicate with the people and build a stronger social foundation for the China-Vietnam community with a shared future. It is important to take a systematic approach to advance people-to-people friendship between China and Vietnam. We should step up public awareness campaigns on the traditional friendship between the two countries and two parties, make good use of culture, tourism, subnational cooperation and other platforms to build more bridges for exchange between the two peoples, especially between the younger generation, to deepen mutual understanding and friendship.
Fifth, it is important to properly manage differences and ensure a more stable expectation on the China-Vietnam community with a shared future. As important coastal countries of the South China Sea, China and Vietnam share common interests and shoulder common responsibilities in safeguarding peace and stability in the South China Sea. China will strengthen communication and coordination with Vietnam to find long-term solutions to maritime issues that both sides can accept, work with all parties for an early conclusion on a substantive and effective Code of Conduct in the South China Sea, and make greater contributions to regional peace and stability.
The Vietnamese president is reported to have said:
“The Vietnamese side hopes that President Xi Jinping’s visit will send a clear message to the world once again, that developing relations with China has always been a top priority and strategic choice for the Vietnamese party and government. The Vietnam-China relationship is as solid as rock. No external force can sow discord, disrupt or undermine this bilateral relationship.”
“China’s development and success will be a huge inspiration and support for Vietnam. The Vietnamese side will earnestly implement the important consensus of the General Secretaries of the two parties, fully leverage the unique advantage of the two countries in sharing the same social system and similar ideals and philosophies, strengthen experience exchange in party and state governance, comprehensively advance practical cooperation in various fields including politics, economy, trade, people-to-people exchanges and security, uphold national political security, and facilitate industrialization and modernization. Vietnam is committed to the one-China policy, and sincerely supports China’s reunification. The Vietnamese side stands ready to properly address maritime differences under the spirit of mutual respect and win-win cooperation, and push for steady progress of the Vietnam-China community with a shared future. The initiatives on global development, security and civilization proposed by President Xi Jinping demonstrate the sense of responsibility of a major country and a major party, as well as China’s important role in leading international development and cooperation. Vietnam is ready to be actively involved, and will enhance international coordination with China to jointly make new contributions to world peace and stability and the progress and well-being of humanity.”
Third, there’s a report on Xi’s meeting with Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh. The English readout says:
“President Xi stressed the need for China and Vietnam to work in solidarity in their socialist cause. The two sides may increase exchanges on ideological work and party theories and share experience on party and state governance. It is also important that the two sides increase people-to-people exchanges and cooperation to deepen the friendship between the two peoples and prepare the younger generation for the task of taking over the baton of China-Vietnam friendship at an early date. While the remarkable achievements in China’s reform and opening up and in Vietnam’s Doi Moi are the result of hard work by the two countries, they are also attributable to a peaceful and stable world in general and an open and inclusive Asia-Pacific in particular. The two sides must guard against and oppose any attempt to destabilize the Asia-Pacific, and at the same time strengthen coordination and collaboration on international affairs and jointly safeguard a sound external environment.”
The Vietnamese PM is reported to have said: “Vietnam admires the historic achievements of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for the New Era in adapting the basic tenets of Marxism to China’s specific realities and its fine traditional culture, admires the enormous progress China has made in its reform and opening up, including the development of the Xiong’an New Area and the Hainan Free Trade Port, and will continue to learn from these achievements…The further strengthening of Vietnam’s relations with China is the top priority and a strategic choice of the party and government of Viet Nam. It is also the strong desire of the Vietnamese people. Vietnam stays committed to the one-China policy. It supports China in achieving greater development and strength and in playing a more important role in international affairs. It supports the global initiatives put forth by President Xi…Noting that the bilateral relationship has stood the test of time and history, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh expressed his conviction that the relationship will not be affected by any external force trying to sow discord or cause disruption and that the building of a Vietnam-China community with a shared future will benefit the two peoples and contribute to peace, stability and prosperity in the region.”
Next, there’s a report on Xi meeting Chairman of the National Assembly of Vietnam Vuong Dinh Hue, who is reported to have said:
“The relationship between the National Assembly of Vietnam and the NPC of China is an important part of the Vietnam-China comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership. The National Assembly will follow through on the important common understandings of the two General Secretaries, step up exchange and cooperation with the NPC on democracy, rule of law and anti-corruption, further build consensus across the sectors, consolidate the traditional friendship and strategic mutual trust between the two countries, and cement the popular foundation of building a Vietnam-China community with a shared future.”
Starting from Page 2, the joint statement that was issued after the visit has been published in the paper. The full English version of the statement is available here. Some excerpts below
Part 1 of the statement ends with this:
“The Vietnamese side supports the building of a community with shared future for mankind, the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative, and the Global Civilisation Initiative. These initiatives have the aim of protecting the common interest of the whole mankind, for the cause of peace, fairness and progressiveness of people all over the world, meeting the aspiration to build a better world of people in all countries. The two sides reach consensus that the development of relations among states should comply with the United Nations’ Charter, international law and essential norms of international relations, persist with mutual respect, equality, mutual benefits, win-win cooperation, respect for each other’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and persist with the settlement of differences through peaceful measures. Following the above-mentioned orientations, the two sides agree to take the Vietnam-China relations to a new stage with stronger political trust, more substantial defence-security cooperation, deeper tangible collaboration, firmer social foundation, closer multilateral coordination, better management and settlement of differences, and joint efforts for boosting the development of the world socialism cause, making positive contributions to the cause of peace and progress of mankind.”
The next two sections deal with reaffirming the past relationship and future goals of both sides. Part three specifically says:
“Looking toward the future, China highlights its consistent policy of friendship with Vietnam, considering Vietnam a priority in its neighbourhood diplomacy. Vietnam affirms that the Vietnam-China relationship is always a top priority in its foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, multilateralisation and diversification of external ties. It is a strategic choice of both sides. Both sides affirm their consistent support for the two Parties, countries and their people to persevere with independence in strategy and choice of development paths that suit each country's situation; be persistent in properly handling and actively resolving disagreements through peaceful means on the basis of mutual understanding, mutual respect in accordance with international law, maintaining the good development momentum of Vietnam-China relations, making more active contributions to peace, stability and development in the region and the world.”
Part four then details what the two sides are supposed to do in the context of the six orientations under the China-Vietnam community with a shared future that carries strategic significance.
I. On Political Trust:
“Both sides vow to further enhance close exchanges between high-ranking leaders of the two Parties and countries through such forms as bilateral visits, deployment of special envoys, hotlines, exchanges of messages and letters, annual meetings and meetings at multilateral forums, engage in timely strategic discussions on important issues in bilateral ties as well as global and regional issues of shared concern, strategic orientations and directions for the stable and healthy development of ties between the two Parties and countries in the new period
Both sides agree to bring into full play the special role of the Party channel, further enhance the direction and coordination of the high-level meeting mechanism of the two Parties as well as the promotion and coordination roles of the two Parties’ external relations organisations; improve the efficiency of the exchange and cooperation between the two Parties’ respective agencies at the central level, Party organisations of localities, especially border provinces (regions); approve the mechanism of theoretical workshop between the two Parties and personnel training cooperation plans, promote delegation exchanges via Party channel, step up exchanges and consult each other in Party building and country management, as well as socialism building and many other fields such as organisation, information and education/popularisation, inspection and discipline enforcement, corruption prevention and combat, judicial reform, mass mobilisation/united front and socio-economy. Besides, they concur to further enhance exchanges and friendly cooperation between the Vietnamese and Chinese Governments, the National Assembly of Vietnam and the National People’s Congress of China, and the Vietnam Fatherland Front and the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference.
Both sides agree to effectively carry out the agreement on deepening the cooperation in the new era between the two Foreign Ministries; maintain regular meetings between leaders of the two Foreign Ministries; continue organising annual diplomatic consultation; enhance exchanges at department-level; well implement staff training plans; and support and create favourable conditions for each other to renovate headquarters and buildings of the diplomatic representative agencies of the two countries.
Vietnam reaffirms its consistency in carrying out ‘One China’ policy by recognising Taiwan as an inseparable part of the Chinese territory, resolutely opposing any separatist activity seeking ‘Taiwan Independence’, supporting the principle of non-interference in internal affairs of other states, and not developing any state-level relations with Taiwan. The Vietnamese side holds that the issues of Hong Kong, Xinjiang and Xizang are China’s internal affairs, and expresses the belief that under the leadership of the Chinese Party and Government, the above-mentioned regions will maintain stability and prosperous development. The Chinese side supports Vietnam’s efforts in maintaining social stability, ensuring national security, and promoting national solidarity.”
2. Security Cooperation:
Both sides agree to further enhance high-level exchanges between the two militaries; bring into play the role of cooperation channels such as border defence friendship exchange, strategic defence dialogue and hotline between the two defence ministries; effectively carry out the joint vision statement on defence cooperation until 2025 between the two defence ministries; step up exchange and cooperation between the two militaries in the fields of political work, personnel training and joint research; further strengthen cooperation in defence industry, joint exercise and training, health care, logistics, UN peace keeping activities and non-traditional security; continue intensive border cooperation by promoting joint border patrol and encouraging border stations of both sides to set up friendly relations and enhance coordination on border management and protection; and continue effective joint patrols on the Gulf of Tonkin and military ships’ mutual visits as well as deepen exchange and cooperation mechanisms between the naval and coast guard forces.
Both sides agree to enhance high-level exchanges between law-enforcement agencies; promote the role of such mechanisms as ministerial-level conference on crime prevention and combat, and strategic security dialogue; establish the mechanism of deputy ministerial-level dialogue on political security and a hotline between the two public security ministries; forge cooperation between the Vietnamese Ministry of Public Security and China’s security and law-enforcement agencies in the fields of security, intelligence, particularly deepening cooperation in government security and regime security; bolster cooperation in traditional and non-traditional security such as prevention of terrorism and online scams, cyber security, immigration management, migration, illegal border crossings, and arrest of criminals fleeing overseas; deepening cooperation and enhance experience exchange in the fields of economic security, food security, energy, water resources, and reform and opening up; boost intelligence cooperation and share experience in the issues of anti-interference, anti-secession, prevention and fighting of ‘peaceful evolution’ and ‘colour revolution’ of hostile and reactionary forces; strengthen cooperation in preventing and fighting legal violations in religion and managing non-governmental organisations, promote staff training; and step up cooperation to protect the safety of organisations, businesses and citizens of one country in the other.
The two sides agree to strengthen legal and judicial cooperation, creating a legal foundation for comprehensive cooperation in all fields between Vietnam and China; actively implement obligations of international treaties of which the two sides are members. The two sides effectively implement the Agreement on Mutual Legal Assistance Agreement in Civil and Criminal Matters between the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and the People's Republic of China, and the Extradition Agreement between the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and the People's Republic of China; promote the effective implementation of the Agreement on the Transfer of Sentenced Persons between the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and the People's Republic of China; promote the practical outcomes of the Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation between the Vietnamese Ministry of Justice and the Chinese Ministry of Justice, jointly perfecting the mutual legal assistance mechanism; study the establishment of methods for resolving civil and border trade disputes; promote legal and judicial cooperation between localities that share the borderline in appropriate forms.
3. Practical Cooperation:
Under this, the document calls to “implement the Plan on cooperation in promoting connectivity between the “Two Corridors, One Belt” framework and the ‘Belt and Road’ initiative…The two sides promote standard-gauge railway connectivity across the Vietnam-China border, study and promote the building of Lao Cai - Hanoi - Hai Phong standard-gauge railway route, study on the Dong Dang – Hanoi and Mong Cai - Ha Long - Hai Phong standard-gauge railway routes at appropriate times. The two sides accelerate the connection and construction of border infrastructure, including the building a road bridge across the Red River in the Bat Xat (Vietnam) - Ba Sa (China) border area. The two sides encourage businesses of the two countries to cooperate in the fields of road, bridge and railway infrastructure, clean electricity, telecommunications, and logistics; continue close coordination and facilitate cooperation in road, aviation, and railway transport; and strengthen logistics cooperation.
It calls to intensify “investment cooperation in such fields as agriculture, infrastructure, energy, digital economy, and green development.”
The document says that both sides “agree to apply practical measures to expand the size of bilateral trade in a balanced and sustainable direction”; “The Chinese side will actively accelerate the market opening process for Vietnamese agricultural products such as fresh coconuts, frozen fruit products, citrus fruits, avocados, custard apples, rose-apples, medicinal herbs, buffalo meat, beef, pork, and products from cattle and poultry meat. The Vietnamese side will actively promote the import of Chinese sturgeon…” The two sides agree to promote “effective measures to ensure smooth commodity supply chains serving the production and consumption between the two countries.” “The Chinese side supports the opening of a Vietnamese Consulate General in Chongqing, the active roles of Vietnamese trade promotion offices in Chongqing and Hangzhou (China) in economic and trade cooperation between the two countries; is willing to further create favourable conditions for the Vietnamese side to soon open more trade promotion offices in relevant Chinese localities.”
“The two sides agree to increase the exchange and cooperation between the State Bank of Vietnam and the Bank of China as well as between the two countries’ financial supervisory and management agencies. Leveraging the role of the joint working group for finance-currency cooperation to step up monetary cooperation between the two countries.”
It talks about clean energy cooperation, including biodiversity conservation, climate change response, new energy automobiles…the two sides agree to enhance cooperation in the fields of cultivation and agricultural product processing…The two sides agree to exchange meteorological data in the flooding season, and implement cooperation in such fields as integrated management of water resources, prevention of natural disasters of flooding and drought, safe drinking water in rural areas, economical irrigation, and irrigation science and techniques. The two sides will hold high-level policy dialogues on the sustainable use of cross-border water resources…”
4. Popular Foundation of Ties:
Under this, the document talks about cooperation between “information and education/popularisation agencies of the two Parties” and “cooperation in communications, press publication, radio broadcasting, cinematography, and television broadcasting.”
It also includes culture, tourism, education, sports, human resources, science and technology, healthcare, disaster prevention and control and local governments and youth exchanges.
5. Regional & International Cooperation:
Both sides agree to intensify the consultation mechanism on human rights and policies between the two foreign ministries and non-periodic exchanges between resident representative agencies, as well as delegations/ representative offices located in third country or international organsations.
The Vietnamese side welcomes a viewpoint on building a community with a shared future for mankind put forth by the Chinese side to promote common values on peace, development, fairness, justice, democracy and freedom; supports and is willing to participate in specific cooperation projects within the framework of the Global Development Initiative in line with Vietnam’s capacity…
The two sides affirm to abide by the United Nations Charter and international law, respect each other's independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity, equality, mutual benefit, efforts for peace, stability, cooperation and development. The Vietnamese side welcomes and supports the Global Security Initiative. The two sides will study the appropriate implementation of suitable cooperation within the initiative, and continue maintaining exchange and close coordination on regional and global security issues.
The Vietnamese side supports the Global Civilisation Initiative, for peace, development, fairness, justice and progress of humankind, and is ready to study the implementation of cooperation within the initiative.
The document talks about not politicising human rights; cooperating at multilateral forums; ASEAN centrality and China-ASEAN cooperation; LMC cooperation; promoting WTO reform; and Vietnam’s support for China joining the CPTPP.
6. Better Management of Differences:
“The two sides reach consensus on actively speeding up discussions on cooperation for joint development at sea, and on maritime boundary delimitation outside the mouth of the Gulf of Tonkin; towards reaching substantive progress in these two works. The two sides will continue to actively cooperate in less sensitive fields at sea. Intensifying collaboration in fishery law enforcement, and in aquaculture and protection of creature resources in the East Sea. Intensifying cooperation in search and rescue missions at sea.”
“The two sides agree to continue to comprehensively and effectively implement the ‘Declaration of the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea’ (DOC) on the basis of consultations and consensus, work to early reach a substantive and efficient ‘Code of Conduct in the East Sea’ (COC) in accordance with international law, including the UNCLOS 1982. Implementing the mechanisms of senior official meetings (SOM) and the ASEAN-China Joint Working Group meetings on the implementation of the ‘Declaration of the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea’ (DOC); well controlling differences at sea, avoiding acts that complicate the situation and expand disputes, and jointly maintaining stability at sea.”
Page 3: Xi Jinping has some work for Hu Chunhua. He could not be in the Politburo but he will be going to Madagascar as Xi’s special envoy to attend the inauguration of President Rajoelina.
Page 4: There is a report on the memorial ceremony that was held on Wednesday to commemorate the victims of the Nanjing massacre.