A Chinese delegation led by Vice Foreign Minister Wang Yi and a
Vietnamese delegation led by Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Le
Cong Phung held the 10th round of government level negotiations on
the Sino-Vietnamese borders in Hanoi on Friday and Saturday.
The two sides reviewed progress made in previous negotiations.
They expressed high appreciation for the breakthrough achieved in
follow-up negotiations on the agreement on Beibu Gulf fishery
cooperation, and made concrete arrangements for the next
negotiations.
They stated that delineating and placing markers on the land
border had a good beginning, and agreed to speed up the process and
complete the delineation of the border soon.
The two sides also agreed to try to complete follow-up
negotiations on the agreement on Beibu Gulf fishery cooperation at
an early stage, to sign the supplementary protocol, and to complete
the formalities of each side approving the fishery agreement and
the Beibu Gulf demarcation agreement.
China and Vietnam will strive to bring the two agreements into
force in the second quarter of this year. The two sides agreed to
maintain the mechanism on negotiations on sea issues, to
practically maintain stability in the South China Sea, and to
continue seeking ways and modes of sea cooperation
Wang Yi also held talks with Vietnamese Deputy Minister of
Foreign Affairs Nguyen Phu Binh on Sino-Vietnamese relations. They
reached a notable consensus on boosting exchanges of high-ranking
delegations, expanding economic and trade ties, and strengthening
regional and international cooperation.
Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister Vu Khoan and Minister of
Foreign Affairs Nguyen Dy Nien also met with Wang Yi.
(Xinhua News Agency January 11, 2004)