VietNamNet Bridge – China and Vietnam should put aside the East Sea dispute and wait for the right conditions, said Chinese Ambassador to Vietnam Sun Quoqiang at a press conference on January 6.
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The Chinese Ambassador said giving priority for social-economic development would be the key. He also announced events in the Vietnam-China Friendship Year 2010 to celebrate the 60th year of Vietnam-China diplomatic relations before praising the bilateral cooperation between the two countries.
The two countries’ leaders have agreed to hold numerous activities this year marking the event, including a trip to Vietnam by Chinese officials who studied and worked with the late President Ho Chi Minh.
Vietnam is among the first the countries to recognize the People’s Republic of China. China was also the first country to establish diplomatic relations with the Democratic Republic of Vietnam.
Ambassador Sun Quoqiang said the most valuable lesson learned over 60 years of China-Vietnam relationship is that cooperation is the key for development.
“As neighbors, comrades and brothers, the two countries have hundreds of reasons for developing bilateral relations and no reason for damaging them. The Chinese State and government attach importance to developing relationships with Vietnam. Putting in place comprehensive cooperative ties between the two countries is an important part of China’s foreign affairs policy,” the ambassador emphasized.
According to Ambassador Sun Quoqiang, in 2009 Vietnam and China exchanged 267 delegations, including 108 visits at deputy minister level and higher. Despite the global economic crisis, two-way trade turnover grew, hitting nearly US$20 billion in the January-November period last year.
VietNamNet details the talks between the Chinese Ambassador and Vietnamese reporters.
Tuoi Tre: Please tell us China’s policy for the East Sea dispute with Vietnam.
Chinese Ambassador: China and Vietnam are neighboring and brother countries. But like the relationships of other countries, there are some matters in our bilateral relations. I have told Vietnamese officials and Vietnamese friends that in families, spouses sometimes quarrel. This is the matter between brothers.
It is a big challenge for us to solve this dispute. If conditions are right and the two sides can solve the matter, our relationship will surely grow. If conditions are not right, we should put it aside. There are many fields where the two countries need to exert efforts and promote cooperation.
There are three matters left by history in the China-Vietnam relations: Delimiting the land boundary, fixing the boundary in the Tonkin Gulf and the sea boundary. The two countries have tried to solve the first two issues. We currently have only to deal with the sea boundary.
We have set up the negotiation mechanism for fixing the sea boundary based on the common spirit set by the two countries’ high-ranking leaders of promoting negotiation. To solve the dispute, the two sides need to base themselves on the fundamental interests and temporarily put aside disputes in order to not affect the two countries’ normal and favorable development. I think this is the most suitable method.
VietNamNet: What are the advantages and disadvantages in fixing the sea boundary, the last remaining matter between the two countries?
The advantage is we both are socialist countries, led by the Communist Party so there is nothing preventing us from solving the remaining matter.
The important and priority mission of the two countries at present is implementing the renovation and door-opening policy to develop the cause of socialism and improve people’s living standards. The two countries share the common, important awareness of not letting the South China Sea (meaning the East Sea) issue to affect the long-term, stable and normal development of relationships between the two countries.
Territory is a difficult and complicated issue. The standpoints between the two sides are different from each other. The most important thing is how we deal with the dispute and different viewpoints.
Chinese leaders have suggested the initiative whereby we put aside disputes in order to develop together. It means the two sides can continue to work on activities to serve the social and economic development of the both sides.
Before we have the right conditions to solve this matter, the above initiative is perhaps the practical way to move forward. We are trying to meet with Vietnamese related agencies to promote it.
Tien Phong: There are many generations of Vietnamese who honor the friendship between Vietnam and China. I know that they have wholeheartedly looked after that friendship. They feel deep grief about China’s recent behavior regarding the Vietnamese fishermen. What is your opinion?
Part of the information on newspapers is true and part of it is incorrect. I have to say that China always conducts itself in such issues in responsible manner. When Vietnam brought up the issue, we immediately verified but our verification is different from Vietnam’s.
For example, some newspapers reported that China treated Vietnamese fishermen inhumanly. We have seriously verified the report but it is untrue.
When Vietnamese boats sheltered storms at Chinese ports, we treated them humanly but when they left our ports, they criticized China as treated them inhumanly. We have discussed with Vietnamese concerned agencies. We think that they should not report such news.
Nhan Dan: Could you talk about the outstanding features in the relationship between the two countries in the last 60 years?
There are three extremely important conditions to developing the ties between the two countries: mutual respect and understanding, equality and mutual benefit and an emphasis on common goals.
Tien Phong: In the past two years, Chinese and Vietnamese high ranking leaders have exchanged visits but we haven’t seen the visit of China’s top leaders. Will Chinese high-ranking officials visit Vietnam this year?
In the last two years, the two sides have exchanged many high-ranking visits. In 2009, high-ranking officials in the Party and the army systems of China paid official visits to Vietnam. In the first half of 2009, the Chief of the General Staff of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army, members of the Chinese Council of National Affairs and members of the Chinese Politburo visited Vietnam.
I have to say frankly that high-ranking officials like the Party Secretary General, the President and the Prime Minister are very busy. We regard Vietnam as a brother and we are willing to promote the relations with Vietnam. If you review, you will see the number of China’s high-ranking visits to Vietnam is more than to other countries.
In 2010, I promise that there will surely be a visit of the highest level to Vietnam.
Voice of Vietnam: This year Vietnam assumes the ASEAN Chairmanship. How is the impact of the new role of Vietnam to the relations between Vietnam and China and China-ASEAN, especially when the China-ASEAN Free Trade Agreement took effect as of January 1 2010?
We congratulate Vietnam in assuming the important role and we strongly believe that Vietnam will excellently fulfill this heavy responsibility. The relations between China and ASEAN have experienced a period of 30 years and it has developed very favourably. The China-ASEAN Free Trade Agreement will create the world largest free trade area in the world with 1.9 billion people, GDP of $65 trillion and import-export revenues of $4.5 trillion. I would say that this is big good news for ASEAN and China.
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