HANOI: Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi commenced week-long official tour in four neighboring countries on Friday with the first stop in Vietnam, aiming to boost bilateral ties and cooperation in a wide range of areas, as the US continues efforts to destabilize the region.
Coming just around two weeks after US Vice President Kamala Harris’ trip in the region that sought to pit countries against China, Wang’s trip showed that China and the neighboring countries are determined to enhance diplomatic relations, despite external interference, Chinese analysts said.
During his visit to Vietnam from Friday to Saturday, Wang is expected to co-chair the meeting of the 13th Steering Committee for Vietnam-China Bilateral Cooperation with Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh and hold bilateral talks, Vietnam News reported citing a spokesperson for the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Thursday.
After Vietnam, Wang is scheduled to visit Cambodia, Singapore and South Korea.
Wang’s visit to Vietnam, upon invitation of Vietnam’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, comes after Harris’s visit to Vietnam and Singapore last month, during which she sought to persuade the countries to step up pressure on China.
Xu Liping, director of the Center for Southeast Asian Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Friday that Vietnamese leaders recognize the uniqueness of the China-Vietnam relationship and Vietnam’s special relationship with China is irreplaceable and not comparable to its relationship with the US. Just before Harris’ visit, Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh met with Chinese Ambassador to Vietnam Xiong Bo in his office and stressed that developing Vietnam-China relations is a top priority in Vietnam’s foreign policy. Xu noted that China and Vietnam, as socialist countries, share a similar political system, and that Wang’s visit will further boost political mutual trust between the two countries, while continuing to devote efforts to manage differences and strengthen consensus on the South China Sea. Bilateral communication and cooperation have also gained great momentum during the COVID-19 epidemic, as the two countries cooperated on epidemic control, vaccines and trade. Wang’s visit will not only improve already-established cooperation but also prompt more cooperation following the COVID-19 pandemic, Xu said.
– The Daily Mail-Global Times News exchange item
