Article content material
BANGKOK (AP) — China agreed Sunday to help Vietnam on cross-border railway growth and take steps to increase agricultural imports from its smaller neighbor, Vietnam’s official media stated.
Premier Li Qiang, on an official go to to Vietnam, pledged that China would additional open its market to high-quality fruits, seafood and different Vietnamese merchandise, a state media report stated.
China is Vietnam’s largest buying and selling associate and second-largest export market after the U.S. Commerce between the 2 nations reached $172 billion in 2023. Vietnam’s high chief, To Lam, signaled the significance of the connection when he made China his first abroad go to after assuming his publish final yr.
Commercial 2
Article content material
Li got here to Vietnam from neighboring Laos, the place he had pushed again in opposition to calls at a gathering of Southeast Asian leaders to respect worldwide legislation in territorial disputes within the South China Sea.
Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh informed Li that each side ought to respect one another’s authentic rights and pursuits, resolve disputes by peaceable means and correctly deal with points associated to fishers and their vessels, the state media report stated.
Vietnam condemned China two weeks in the past for what it described as an assault by Chinese language legislation enforcement personnel that injured a number of Vietnamese fishers close to the Paracel Islands within the South China Sea.
The islands have been beneath the de facto management of China since 1974, when Beijing seized them from Vietnam in a quick however violent naval battle.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken informed the Southeast Asian leaders gathered in Laos final week that the U.S. is anxious about China’s “more and more harmful and illegal” actions within the South China Sea, which Beijing claims just about in its entirety.
Of their talks on Sunday, Chinh and Li agreed to deepen trade and cooperation in diplomacy, nationwide protection and public safety, the state media report stated.
Commercial 3
Article content material
In addition they witnessed the trade of 10 cooperation agreements, together with the institution of a working group to develop cross-border financial cooperation zones and the implementation of QR-code, cross-border fee companies.
The railway agreements coated a technical plan and feasibility research to enhance practice connectivity between Vietnam and China.
On commerce, Chinh requested for higher entry for a spread of merchandise together with tropical fruits, meat merchandise, farm-raised spiny lobster and plant-based conventional medicines.
Li stated that China stands able to resolve commerce points and work with Vietnam on quarantine and customs procedures, in line with the Vietnamese report.
Article content material