The Chinese and Vietnamese governments have pledged to settle their past conflicts peacefully, particularly their maritime disputes in the South China Sea, and further strengthen their diplomatic ties, China Daily reported.
Chinese President Xi Jinping, who also serves as the general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, and Nguyen Phu Trong, general secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam, met in Beijing on Tuesday to witness the signing of several agreements that include an oil and gas joint exploration project in the Beibu Gulf, television filming collaboration, infrastructure, currencies, extradition and finance.
Before the signing, Xi and Trong vowed to protect peace and stability in the South China Sea by working together to control maritime conflicts between the two countries.
According to observers, Trong's four-day visit in China is a significant sign of improvement on the two countries' 65-year-old bilateral relationship that got strained last year when Hanoi protested Beijing's oil rig operations near the Xisha Islands. The said islands are also being claimed by Vietnam.
During the meeting, Xi said that China and Vietnam have significant shared interests and historical bonds, and the two countries should respect each other and adhere to friendly talks.
Trong said that the two countries need to improve their cooperation, settle conflicts in a proper way, and create a peaceful environment for development.
The meeting between Xi and Trong could get the bilateral ties back on a healthy track and foster communication among the public, scholars and diplomats to provide peaceful solutions to maritime disputes, said Hoang The Anh, an expert from the Institute of Chinese Studies at the Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences.