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Vietnam, China sign 14 agreements during top leader's visit to Beijing

A meeting with President Xi ended with pledges to develop infrastructure, including railways.

By RFA Staff 2024.08.20 -- As Vietnam's new leader To Lam wrapped up a three-day visit to China on Tuesday, the two nations agreed to cooperate on building three cross-border rail links, the most prominent of 14 agreements between the two countries.

They also agreed to cooperate on health issues and news distribution, phytosanitary requirements for fresh coconuts and frozen durian exports from Vietnam, as well as quarantine and health requirements for Vietnam's exports of farmed crocodiles.

Lam and Chinese President Xi Jinping had pledged in a meeting on Monday to address territorial conflicts in the South China Sea to "maintain peace and stability," and to work together to "continue bolstering collaboration in security and defense, boosting economic, trade and investment cooperation," the Vietnamese government said in a statement.

The two nations have clashed The two sides have clashed over competing territorial claims in the South China Sea, which have earned diplomatic rebukes from Hanoi and sparked widespread public protests in Vietnam.

Infrastructure

The main focus Tuesday was on infrastructure development, including a 555-kilometer (345-mile) Vientiane-Vung Ang railway, linking the Lao capital with a Vietnamese port.

Lam asked for China's support through "high-quality investment" in key projects, bringing together Hanoi's "Two Corridors One Belt" policy and Beijing's "Belt and Road" initiative, to construct "major and symbolic works to match their political trust," Vietnam said.

Xi told Lam that China was ready to "accelerate the 'hard connectivity' of railway, expressway and port infrastructure, enhance the 'soft connectivity' of smart customs, and jointly build a secure and stable industrial and supply chain," according to China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Lam's first foreign trip since being appointed to his country's top job on Aug. 3 began on Sunday in the southern city of Guangzhou. He later traveled to the Chinese capital for talks with Chinese leaders.

On Tuesday, Lam also visited the Central Party School, which provides training to Communist Party officials. He also led a Vietnamese delegation to Beijing-headquartered artificial intelligence company Megvii, the Vietnam News Service reported.

A spokesperson for the Chinese ministry, Mao Ning, told a regular media briefing on Monday that rail links between China and Vietnam, launched in November 2017 opened "a new channel for China-Vietnam logistics transportation."

She said they would cut transport time, increase the efficiency of customs clearance, optimize hub functions and significantly increase the range of goods traded across the border, "becoming a fast track to promote economic and trade exchanges."

The two leaders are likely to meet next in Hanoi after Xi accepted an invitation from Lam to visit the Vietnamese capital.

Edited by Mike Firn, Taejun Kang and Malcolm Foster.

Updated to recast throughout, raise rail cooperation and other agreements.

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