This week, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister (FM) Wang Yi met officials from Vietnam, Cambodia, Singapore, and South Korea.
Vietnam
On Saturday, Wang met Vietnamese Prime Minister (PM) Pham Minh Chinh in Hanoi.
Pham Minh Chinh said Vietnam would maintain the momentum of economic, trade, and investment cooperation with China, keep industrial and supply chains stable, and facilitate Chinese investment. He added that his administration is willing to strengthen coordination and cooperation with China in various organisations, such as the United Nations (UN), the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation.
Wang told the Vietnamese PM that China is “willing to take exceptional measures to support it with vaccines and share medical and treatment” to help fight the pandemic. He added that both sides must utilise “the joint prevention and control mechanism, maintain orderly economic and trade exchanges, facilitate the construction of the China-Vietnam cross-border economic cooperation zone, and accelerate Vietnam’s industrialisation.”
Wang also met Vietnamese Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son. Wang stressed that both sides should “push forward the connectivity of China’s Belt and Road Initiative with Vietnam’s Two Corridors and One Economic Circle plan, while promoting cooperation in mega-projects and high technology, including 5G, for mutual benefits.”
For his part, Bui Thanh Son said Vietnam hopes to maintain high-level exchanges, including in border areas, and keep the smooth flow of regional supply and production chains.
Furthermore, Wang met the General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee, Nguyen Phu Trong. Wang said, “Facing the complex and changing international situation, the two sides should deepen mutual political trust, strengthen unity and cooperation, and consolidate their political and system security.”
The Chinese diplomat also co-chaired the 13th Meeting of the China-Vietnam Steering Committee for Bilateral Cooperation with Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister Pham Binh Minh during his trip.
Cambodia
On Sunday, Wang met the Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Prak Sokhonn, in Phnom Penh. Both leaders reached a six-point consensus:
- Assist each other on issues concerning core interests.
- Continue to work together to fight the pandemic and bridge the “vaccine gap.”
- Jointly build Belt and Road Initiative with high quality, and promote cooperation in infrastructure, production capacity, and 5G. Help Cambodia speed up its industrialisation process, expand imports of high-quality Cambodian agricultural products, and steadily implement the construction of the Sihanoukville Special Economic Zone and the Phnom Penh-Sihanoukville Expressway.
- China will increase assistance to Cambodia to construct schools, hospitals and roads, strengthen people-to-people exchanges and build public support for bilateral friendship.
- Jointly promote East Asia cooperation and China-ASEAN relations to a new level, speed up the alignment of the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor with the Lancang-Mekong Economic Development Belt.
- Strengthen solidarity and coordination, say no to power politics, fight against bullying, and jointly safeguard regional peace and stability, international equity and justice, and the common interests of developing countries.
In addition, Wang met Cambodian PM Samdech Techo Hun Sen, Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the Cambodian side of the China-Cambodia Intergovernmental Coordination Committee Hor Namhong, and the Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Prak Sokhonn.
Singapore
On Monday, Wang held talks with Singaporean Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan in Singapore. Wang said: “Both sides should promote high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, give full play to the role of the New Land-sea Corridor, synergise the New Land-sea Corridor with the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation Mechanism, and tap cooperation potential in e-commerce, artificial intelligence, mobile payment and big data.”
Vivian responded that Singapore is ready to deepen cooperation with China in fields such as “COVID-19 response, trade, investment, digital economy and green development, and make stronger efforts to align the New Land-sea Corridor with the Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity 2025.”
Apart from Vivian, Wang met Singaporean Deputy PM and Singaporean Co-chair of the China-Singapore Joint Council for Bilateral Cooperation (JCBC) Heng Swee Keat on the same day.
South Korea
On Wednesday, Wang met South Korean President Moon Jae-in. Moon said his administration is ready to cooperate to maintain the momentum of high-level exchanges, bring the Committee for Future Development of South Korea-China Relations into play, expand people-to-people exchanges, and push for more fruitful cooperation in the economy, trade, and environmental protection.
Wang told Moon that China “firmly supports both Koreas in overcoming difficulties and steering clear of disruptions to improve relations and will continue to play a constructive role in maintaining peace and stability and realising enduring peace and stability on the Peninsula.”
During his trip, Wang also held a meeting with FM Chung Eui-Yong. Wang highlighted that both sides should speed up the second-phase negotiations on the free trade agreement (FTA) and step up cooperation in industries such as an integrated circuit, information and communication, and big data.
Chung Eui-Yong called for a regular communication mechanism between the FMs of the two countries to be established and said a new round of high-level strategic dialogue on diplomacy and security must be held as soon as possible.