Vietnam, China seek ways to foster defence cooperation

Vietnamese and Chinese high-ranking military officers have reviewed the outcomes of cooperation between the two armies in the recent past and agreed upon cooperation measures in the time ahead to effectively implement the statement on joint vision on defence cooperation until 2025.

These formed part of the talks in Hanoi on June 18 between Gen. Ngo Xuan Lich, Politburo member, Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission, Minister of National Defence of Vietnam and Sen. Lieut. Gen. Fan Chang Long, Politburo member and Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission of China, who is on a friendship official visit to Vietnam from June 18-19. Gen. Lich stressed that along with recent friendship visits by leaders of the two Parties, States and armies, the Chinese officer’s ongoing visit is vivid evidence of close relations between the two Parties, States and armies. He affirmed that the Central Military Commission and the Defence Ministry of Vietnam attach great importance to the visit of Sen. Lieut. Gen. Fan and his entourage, considering it as an important political event and a new development step in cooperative relations between the people and armies of the two nations. During the talks, the two sides also discussed regional and international issues of mutual concern. Following the talks, Lich and Fan signed a cooperation agreement on personnel training between the Defence Ministries of Vietnam and China. Gen. Lich and Sen. Lieut. Gen. Fan will co-chair activities within the fourth Vietnam-China border defence friendship exchange programme that will be held in Vietnam’s northern border province of Lai Chau and Yunnan province of China from June 20-22.