During a meeting with his Vietnamese counterpart Phan Van Giang in Beijing, Chinese Defence Minister Li Shangfu said on Tuesday that China is willing to further strengthen high-level communication between the two militaries.
China’s Expanded Support
Li said that China and Vietnam are socialist and share a “special friendly relationship.” He added that the relationship between their two militaries had a “good momentum of development.”
“China is willing to work with Vietnam to strengthen high-level communication…improve mechanism construction, and deepen practical cooperation,” Li stressed.
Noting that the current international situation is “turbulent and intertwined, and the security of the Asia-Pacific region still faces some challenges,” Li called on the two countries to continue to “closely unite in the new journey of socialism, safeguard the common strategic interests…and make positive contributions to regional peace and stability.”
China is willing to work with Vietnam to uphold dialogue and consultation to manage differences, advance practical maritime cooperation, accelerate negotiations on the "Code of Conduct in the South China Sea," and avoid actions that could complicate or escalate the situation,… pic.twitter.com/IFIgzmuQIO
— Global Times (@globaltimesnews) June 26, 2023
Vietnamese Response
Phan Van Giang thanked China for its “valuable support and assistance in Vietnam’s national liberation and national construction” and assured that Hanoi will “continue to uphold the “Sixteen Characters” policy and the spirit of “Four Goods” to develop comprehensive strategic cooperation.”
“The Vietnamese army is willing to continue to strengthen cooperation with China in various fields such as political work, border defence exchanges, and personnel training,” Phan said.
US Submarine in Vietnam
The meeting between the Chinese and Vietnamese military leaders comes days after a US nuclear-powered submarine — the USS Ronald Reagan — made a stop in the Vietnamese port of Danang on Sunday.
It is only the third stop by a US aircraft carrier since the end of the Vietnam War in 1975.
The US military’s presence in the volatile region has increased following China’s increased aggression in the South China Sea, almost all of which the Asian superpower claims as part of its own territory.