Hanoi (VNA) – Vietnam andChina have recorded progress in their defence cooperation, which deserves to bean important pillar in the countries’ all-r♉ound relations, leaders of the twodefence ministries said at their talks in Hanoi on May 27.

The talks were held between General Ngo XuanLich – Politburo member, Deputy Secretary of the Central Military Commissionand Minister of National Defence of Vietnam – and Sen. Lt. Gen. Wei Fenghe –State Councillor and Minister of National Defence of China, who is paying anofficial visit to Vietnam from May 27 to 29. At the event, the two sides discussed currentaffairs in each country and defence relations, particularly the implementationof the 2003 protocol on bilateral defence cooperation and the 2017 joint visionstatement on defence cooperation until 2025. The ministers shared the view that recent progressin defence ties demonstrates the high political trust between the two countries. They spoke highly of the cooperation activities thathave been carried out in a relatively comprehensive manner with practicalcontent, matching the demand and capacity of each side.  High-level meetings and mutual visits by leadersof the two militaries have been promoted. Meanwhile, some cooperationmechanisms have been set up and expanded, including the defence strategydialogue, young officers’ exchanges, joint patrols on the Gulf of Tonkin,border defence friendship exchanges, and cooperation activities between bordermilitary zones, they noted. The officers specified 2019 as the year forbreakthroughs in the two militaries’ relations on the thresholds of the 70thanniversary of the establishment of the Vietnam-China diplomatic ties in 2020. They agreed to continue enhancing defence linksin terms of Party-related and political works; complete joint historicalstudies and documentaries; intensify cooperation in military medicine, the defenceindustry, and United Nations peacekeeping; and foster ties between the countries’naval and air force services. Special attention will be paid to border defencefriendship exchange programmes, along with relations between military zones andborder guard, naval, and air forces of Vietnam with the southern militaryregion of China. Regarding outstanding issues, the two sidesagreed on the need to persist in peacefully resolving the problems to ensuresolid mutual trust, and together build a peaceful environment in the East Sea. A peaceful environment in the East Sea built bythe two sides will benefit not only China or Vietnam, but also partners whowish to cooperate with the two countries for common development, they stressed. Following the talks, the officers witnessed thesigning of several cooperation agreements between the two ministries’ relevantagencies, including a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on military medicinecooperation, an agreement on military staff training in the 2019-2020 academicyear, and an MoU on military education between the National Defence Academy ofVietnam and the National Defence University of China. The Chinese defence ministryalso presented medical and search and rescue equipment to its Vietnamesecounterpart. On this occasion, Minister Ngo Xuan Lich invitedhis counterpart Wei Fenghe to attend the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting Plusand send naval ships to the maritime security drill and the international navalparade in Vietnam in 2020 when the country takes on its role as the ASEANChair.–VNA