RELATIONS VIETNAM - CHINA:
Date of establishment of diplomatic relations with Vietnam: 1991
1.
Since the relation normalization in 1991, the friendship and relations
of mutual benefit between the two countries have been developing both in
width and depth in all fields bringing about practical benefits to both
sides. Until now, the 2 countries have signed 52 agreements at state
level, laying legal foundation for long lasting cooperation between the
two countries. Both sides have reopened airlines, railways, sea routes
and roads, facilitating the transportation of goods and passengers
between the two countries. The exchanges of delegations at State and
local levels are increasing. Every year, more than 100 delegations at
ministerial, departmental, local and grass-root levels of both sides are
exchanged. These activities have contributed to enhancing mutual
understanding and trust and expanding the bilateral cooperation.
Meetings
of the two countries' leaders are held annually. During CPV General
Secretary Le Kha Phieu's visit to China in February, 1999, the highest
leaders of both sides set up a 16-word principle to promote the
relations between the two countries in 21st Century, namely "long-term
stability, future-oriented, good-neighborliness and comprehensive
cooperation". In December, 2000 Vietnamese President Tran Duc Luong
visited China, the 2 sides signed a joint declaration on comprehensive
cooperation for the new century concretizing the 16 word principle in
specific means to develop the relations between the 2 countries in all
areas. The 2 sides also agreed to make the two countries “good
neighbours, good friends, good comrades and good partners".
In 2006,
General Secretary Nong Duc Manh visited China in August, General
Secretary and President Hu Jin Tao visited Viet Nam in November, and
Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung held 2 meetings with his
Chinese counterpart Wen Jia Bao, during the 6th ASEM in Finland in
September and during the China - ASEAN Day in NanNing, China in October .
In
2007, there were visits to China by Vietnamese President Nguyen Minh
Triet (May 2007), National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Phu Trong (April
2007) and Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Gia Khiem
(March 2007). In these visits, the leaders of the 2 countries emphasized
that Viet Nam – China friendship is precious asset of the two peoples
that should be preserved and fortified. They also affirmed that they
would do their best to raise the relations to a higher plane with more
in depth and trust. They also committed to help each other in the cause
of reforms and socialist construction in each country for peace,
stability, cooperation and development in the region and the world.
The
bilateral cooperation in other fields such as diplomacy, national
defense and public security of the 2 countries have been further
promoted with the signing of cooperation agreements between the two
Foreign Ministries (December 2002), Public Security Ministries
(September 2003) and Defense Ministries (October 2003). The exchange of
the youth between the 2 countries is often conducted with interesting
agendas. The two sides also attached importance to regularly organizing
workshops on theory and experience in national development, socialist
construction and Party building.
Viet Nam set up its Consulate
General in Guang Zhou (1993), Hong Kong (1994), Kun Ming (Yun Nan) and
Nan Ning (Guang Xi) - May, 2004. China opened its Consulate General in
Ho Chi Minh City in 1993.
The relations between border provinces of
the 2 countries have been also strongly increased. Provincial leaders
often pay visits across the border to discuss ways to step up economic,
trade and tourism cooperation between the two sides as well as to
safeguard social order and security in the border area to contribute to
accelerating the process of border demarcation and border mark planting
along the border line on land between the two countries. At the
beginning of June, 2007, Vietnam’s Foreign Ministry organized a
delegation of representatives from seven northern border provinces and
Hai Phong City to visit Yun Nan, Guang Xi and Guang Dong. These events
help create opportunities for businesses of both sides to boost
economic, trade, tourism and investment cooperation. During the visit,
the northern border provinces of Viet Nam and Yun Nan, Guang Xi of China
signed agreements for establishment of joint committees and joint
working groups between border provinces of the 2 countries.
2.
For the time being, China has become a leading trade partner of Viet
Nam. In 2006, the bilateral trade volume was 10.42 billion US$ (Viet
Nam’s export was 3.03 million US$, and import was 7.39 billion US$). In
the first 3 months of 2007, the bilateral trade amount was 2.99 billion
US$, 42.2% higher than the figure of the same period last year. Out of
that sum, Viet Nam’s export was 722.7 million US$ (2.29% lower than the
number of the same period last year), Viet Nam’s import was 2.27 billion
US$ (66.3% higher than the number of same period last year).
The
bilateral trade volume accounts for 0.6% of China’s total foreign trade
volume and 12% of Viet Nam’s total foreign trade volume. Since 2001,
Viet Nam has seen constantly increasing deficit in trade with China. The
two sides have agreed to aim at the target of 15 billion US$ in the
bilateral trade volume in 2010 and at the same time gradually reduce
Vietnam's trade deficit.
According to the Plan and Investment
Ministry, by the end of April 2007, China has had 437 investment
projects in Viet Nam with the total capital of 1.182 billion US$,
ranking 14th among 77 countries and territories investing in Viet Nam.
In
the visit of President Nguyen Minh Triet to China (May 2007), the two
sides signed six cooperation documents and nine economic agreements with
the value of 2.6 billion US$. The two sides set up a working group on
economic cooperation to build a master plan for 5 year economic and
trade cooperation development between Viet Nam and China and put forth
projects within the cooperation framework of “Two corridors and one
economic ring” between the two countries.
3. After the
normalization of relations, in 1993, the two sides signed an agreement
on basic principles to settle border and territory issues and on
negotiations on three issues: land border, demarcation line in Tonkin
Gulf and outstanding issues in the Eastern Sea. These negotiations
already started.
The issues of land border: On December 30, 1999, the
two sides signed an agreement on land border. In general, the situation
of the bilateral land borders is stable. The work of demarcation and
landmark planting along the border line has made progress. At the 13th
round of the governmental level talk (January 2007) and the 19th round
of talks at the Joint Committee Chairman level (February 2007) both
sides demonstrated the determination to complete the work of border
demarcation and border landmark planting on the spot field in 2007, try
to complete all the work of border demarcation and border landmark
planting and sign a new document on “ Border Control Regulation” in
2008.
The issue of the Tonkin Gulf delineation and fishery
cooperation in the Tonkin Gulf: on December 25, 2000, the two sides
signed an agreement on the delineation of the Tonkin Gulf and fishery
cooperation in the Tonkin Gulf. After 3 years of talk, on April 29, 2004
an additional protocol on fishery cooperation in the Tonkin Gulf was
signed; two Agreements on delineation of the Tonkin Gulf and an
Agreement on fishery cooperation in the Tonkin Gulf entered into effect
on June 30, 2004.
Basically, the situation in the Tonkin Gulf is
stable. The two Agreements on the Tonkin Gulf have been implemented more
effectively. The work of fishing control and protecting maritime
resources has been gradually placed in good order, considerably limiting
the occurrence of conflicts. National oil and gas companies of the two
countries have signed an agreement on joint survey in the area agreed in
the Tonkin Gulf and it is being implemented. The work of patrol and
violation control in the Tonkin Gulf has been carried out by Vietnamese
maritime police and Chinese fishery control force since September, 2006;
Naval forces of the two countries also have conducted two joint patrols
in the Tonkin Gulf.
The two sides also have carried out three rounds of talks on delineating the area out of the mouth of the Tonkin Gulf.
Regarding
issues in the East Sea, the two sides agreed to settle the issues
through peaceful negotiations. Up to now, the two sides have carried out
11 rounds of talks at expert level on issues at sea to improve
understanding of each other's stance. ASEAN and China also signed a
Declaration of Conduct in the Eastern Sea (DOC) heading towards a Code
of Conducts (COC). On March 14, 2005, three oil - gas companies of Viet
Nam (PetroVietnam), China (CNOOC) and Philippines (PNOC) signed an
Agreement on joint seismic surveys in some areas in the East Sea and the
agreement is being implemented smoothly.
4. In the last years,
the exchange and cooperation between Viet Nam and China in the areas of
education and training and culture-sports have been strongly promoted.
Every year, China receives a considerable number of Vietnamese students,
interns and sports delegations for study and training. At the same
time, Chinese experts and trainers come to Viet Nam to help train in
some sport fields. The two sides have also exchanged artist performing
troupes, organizing many culture and sport exchanges, contributing to
strengthening the friendship between the two peoples.
The localities
of both sides have also enhanced direct relations under diversified and
practical forms, including delegation exchange for study tours, signing
cooperation documents, organizing workshops and exhibitions. These
activities have helped step up economic - social development in these
localities, especially YunNan and GuangXi of China and northern border
provinces of Viet Nam.
While the potential for bilateral development
remains enormous, with the common efforts from both sides, the relations
between Vietnam and China will be constantly strengthened and developed
in the 21st Century, meeting the aspiration and interests of the two
peoples and for the sake of peace, stability and development in the
region and the world.
June 15, 2007