BEIJING (Xinhua): Chinese State Councillor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang and Vietnamese Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son (pic) on Tuesday (March 28) vowed to take the 15th anniversary of the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership between their countries as an opportunity to lift bilateral ties to a new level.
In their phone talk, they also pledged to strengthen strategic communication, consolidate mutual political trust, and enhance exchanges at all levels and in various fields.
Calling China and Vietnam comrades and brothers, Qin said the Chinese side appreciates Vietnam for giving top priority to its relations with China in its foreign policy, and for being among the first to send a warm and friendly congratulatory message to the new Chinese leaders.
China also views and develops its relations with Vietnam from a strategic and long-term perspective, Qin noted, adding that the Chinese side stands ready to work with Vietnam to well implement the strategic consensus reached by top leaders of the two parties, strengthen the top-level design of practical cooperation, and deepen the synergy between the Belt and Road Initiative and Vietnam's "Two Corridors and One Economic Circle" plan.
The two sides should continue their mutual support on issues concerning each other's core interests and major concerns, practice true multilateralism, and jointly safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of developing countries, he added.
For his part, the Vietnamese foreign minister congratulated China on the successful holding of the "two sessions," and said that Vietnam has always supported China's development and growth, appreciated China's positive contributions to regional and global peace, stability and prosperity, and firmly believed China will realise the Second Centenary Goal as scheduled and build a great modern socialist country with Chinese characteristics.
The Vietnamese side regards the development of good-neighbourly relations and comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership with China as a strategic choice and top priority, he said.
He added that Vietnam is willing to work with China to promote the "comradely and brotherly" traditional friendship between the two countries, deepen practical cooperation in various fields, and turn the strategic consensus of top leaders of the two parties as well as of the two countries into more concrete results.
