China and Vietnam should properly manage the situation at sea and correctly handle disputes through bilateral dialogue and consultation, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi told Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh on Thursday.

During a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) foreign ministers' meeting and other related meetings in Bangkok, Wang said the two countries should not let maritime issues disturb the overall development of their relations.

Minh said Vietnam is willing to implement consensuses reached by leaders of the two countries on maritime issues and promote the healthy development of bilateral ties. 

After attending the China-ASEAN foreign ministers' meeting on Wednesday, Wang told reporters that China believes the consultation on the Code of Conduct (COC) in the South China Sea could be concluded in time as long as China and ASEAN countries work together and trust each other.

He said China and ASEAN countries have finished the first reading of the Single Draft Negotiating Text of the COC in the South China Sea ahead of schedule.

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At a separate meeting with South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha on Thursday, Wang said China and South Korea should deepen cooperation in areas such as trade, science, technology and finance, speed up the second-stage negotiations on a China-South Korea free trade agreement, and advance negotiations on a China-Japan-South Korea free trade zone. 

South Korea is willing to deepen cooperation with China on economy and trade as well as environmental protection, Kang said. 

The two sides also exchanged views on issues regarding the Korean Peninsula. Both agreed that with some "positive changes" taking place recently, relevant parties are kicking off a new round of interactions. 

Beijing supports Seoul to resist disturbances and continue to improve relations with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), said a statement by the Chinese Foreign Ministry on the meeting. It also calls on Seoul to play a positive role in facilitating talks between Washington and Pyongyang, and remain "objective and fair" in doing so, it added.

Wang on the same day met with his Japanese counterpart Taro Kono. During their meeting, Wang urged Japan to cherish the improving China-Japan relations. Both sides agreed to implement the consensus reached between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe during the Group of 20 (G20) summit in Osaka.

Wang said that the improvement of bilateral relationship faces new opportunities and challenges. Japan should treat history and the Taiwan issue in the right way so as to promote mutual political trust and forge better bilateral ties.  

Kono said Japan is willing to work with China to prepare for Xi's state visit to Japan next spring and continue to improve China-Japan ties. The two sides agreed to make joint efforts to promote high-quality development under the Belt and Road Initiative, broaden trade cooperation and enhance high-level and people-to-people exchanges.

(Cover: Coast guards from China and Vietnam put out a fire during drill exercises in a common fishing zone in the Beibu Gulf, November 7, 2016. /Xinhua Photo)