China, Vietnam stress handling differences via friendly consultation

China and Vietnam on Sunday stressed the need to properly handle their differences through friendly consultation.

In his meeting with Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, Chinese Premier Li Qiang urged both sides to stick to friendly consultation, properly handle differences and expand maritime cooperation.

China firmly supports Vietnam in steadily following a path that suits its national conditions, Li said, calling for strengthening alignment of development strategies with Vietnam, and carrying out the plan of synergizing the Belt and Road Initiative with Vietnam's Two Corridors and One Economic Circle strategy.

He said China stands ready to work with Vietnam to deepen cooperation in areas such as connectivity, trade and investment, tourism, medical care, and disaster prevention and reduction, and expand cooperation in emerging industries such as digital economy and green development to continuously promote the upgrading of cooperation in various fields.

He called on both sides to further deepen cultural and people-to-people exchanges, and enhance mutual understanding between the two peoples, especially the younger generation.

China is ready to strengthen coordination and cooperation with Vietnam at multilateral platforms such as the United Nations and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, and promote global governance in a fairer and more reasonable direction, Li said.

For his part, Pham Minh Chinh said developing relations with China is a top priority and a strategic choice for the party and the government of Vietnam, adding that China is the only country that encompasses all of Vietnam's foreign policy priorities.

He said Vietnam firmly adheres to the one-China principle, and supports China's development.

Noting that next year marks the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries, he said Vietnam is ready to maintain close high-level exchanges with China, speed up the connectivity of transportation infrastructure, explore new models such as cross-border economic cooperation zones, and maintain close exchanges in fields including education, tourism and youth.

The two sides should implement the high-level consensus of the two parties and two countries, properly manage differences through friendly consultation and jointly safeguard maritime peace and stability, Pham Minh Chinh said.

During Premier Li's visit, the two sides will issue a joint statement.

(With input from Xinhua)