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Xi believes that historic and cultural ties bond the people and governments of China and Vietnam [Xinhua]
This comes following his visit to the city of Da Nang, where he participated in the 25th Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders’ Meeting.
While Xi will meet with Vietnamese President Tran Dai Quang and other national leaders to discuss ways of boosting bilateral trade, there will also be focus on how the two countries can establish a mechanism to deal with disagreements.
In a meeting with Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc on the sidelines of the APEC meetig in Da Nang, Xi praised recent developments in relations between the two countries citing the increased momentum in
high-level visits between officials and the ever deeping coordination on multilateral occasions.
In 2014, ties between the two countries were strained when Beijing accused Vietnam of launching numerous attempts to disrupt China’s oil drilling operation in the South China Sea.
As Beijing evacuated thousands of Chinese nationals from Vietnam, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said on Sunday China will suspend bilateral exchanges with the country.
Beijing was responding to the deadly violence against Chinese nationals in the country.
But ties have been on the mend since then.
Ahead of his visit to Vietnam, Xi said that there was a bond “forged with blood” between the two countries.
Xi said that the two countries were entering a new era in their relationship, one that would be cemented in their joint development strategies and cooperation in multiple sectors such as infrastructure, trade, industrial capacity, cross-border economic cooperation zones and agriculture.
China says that improving ties with its neighbors is a key strategy.
“We need to take determined steps toward a Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific in line with the agreed roadmap, and herald a new round of development in the Asia-Pacific in the course of opening up,” Xi said in Da Nang on Friday.
The BRICS Post with inputs from Agencies
