Vietnam border, seas, islands

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh has urged ASEAN and China to soon discuss practical contents of the Code of Conducts (COC) in the East Sea while continuing with full and effective implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) and building trust, contributing to maintaining peace, stability and security in the East Sea.

He was speaking at talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi held on the sidelines of the third Foreign Ministers’ Meeting on Mekong – Lancang Cooperation (MLC) took place in Dali, the southwest China’s Yunnan province on December 15, with the attendance of foreign ministers from Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, China and Vietnam.

The Deputy PM Minh asked China to take effective measures to further boost bilateral economic-trade ties and ease Vietnam’s trade deficit, invest in projects using advanced and eco-friendly technology, as well as extend mutually-beneficial collaboration in agriculture, environment, climate change response and science-technology.

On issues at sea, he took note of recent progress in negotiations on the Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC) between ASEAN and China. He urged ASEAN and China to soon discuss practical contents of the COC while continuing with full and effective implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) and building trust, contributing to maintaining peace, stability and security in the East Sea.

The two sides vowed to facilitate high-level visits and direct ministries, agencies and localities to effective implement existing agreements and common perceptions reached by high-ranking leaders.-VNA