The land border treaty between Vietnam and China and the agreement on the delimitation of the Beibu Bay territorial sea are equal and mutual-beneficial to both countries, a Vietnamese spokeswoman reaffirmed in Hanoi Thursday.
Vietnamese Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Phan Thuy Thanh made the reaffirmation when answering a relevant question at a regular press conference.
Thanh said "with regards to the treaties between Vietnam and China, we would like to add that the conclusion of a land border treaty between Vietnam and China and an agreement on the demarcation of the Beibu Bay resulted from tremendous concerted efforts made by both sides over many years in the spirit of frankness, mutual understanding and respect for each other's interests."
The treaty and agreement were drafted on the basis of respect for independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity, non-invasion,non-interference into each other's internal affairs, equality, mutual benefits, peaceful coexistence and conformity with international laws and practices, the spokeswoman stressed.
The signing the Treaty on Vietnam-China Land Border and Agreement on Demarcation of the Beibu Bay marked a new important step forward in building a peaceful and stable environment in the region, creating favorable conditions for the two countries to focus on national construction and development, she added.
China and Vietnam signed the land border treaty and agreement on the delimitation of the Beibu Bay territorial sea between the two countries in December 1999 and December 2000, respectively.
(Xinhua News Agency January 25, 2002)
