Vietnam, China leaders hold landmark talks
Vietnam, China leaders hold landmark talks
HANOI (Reuter): The leaders of China and Vietnam held landmark talks here yesterday, focusing more on solidarity than on the bitter disputes between the neighboring countries.
Communist Party chiefs Jiang Zemin of China and Do Muoi of Vietnam led large delegations in the highest-level exchange between the world's two most populous communist states since they normalized relations three years ago.
Party ties took precedence over inter-state relations. Vietnam's head of state, President Le Duc Anh, took second place to Muoi at the conference table and when they both escorted Jiang to review a guard of honor before the talks at the presidential palace.
Muoi stood in the middle of the triumvirate on the podium, with Jiang -- China's head of state as well as party leader -- on his right and Anh on his left.
Arriving earlier from Ho Chi Minh City, where he spent the night, Jiang said the talks were sure to improve relations between Vietnam and China.
He and the Vietnamese leaders would have "an extensive and in- depth exchange of views on further developing our bilateral relations and on regional and international issues of common concern," he said in a statement.
He said his visit "will help further promote our mutual understanding and friendship and give an impetus to the development of our good-neighborly and friendly relations."
Muoi told Reuters earlier: "The two sides will discuss the issue of friendship, friendship and friendship, solidarity, solidarity and solidarity."
Jiang was in good spirits at the start of the talks, laughing and joking as dozens of journalists jostled for a view of the leaders round the green baize table.
Muoi said "du chua? (that's enough?)" to the press and Jiang followed up with "cam on" and "merci, merci" -- "thank you" in Vietnamese and French.
First
Jiang is the first Chinese party chief to visit Vietnam and the talks are the highest-level exchanges since the two countries normalized relations in 1991 after more than a decade of estrangement and hostility.
China seized the disputed Paracel islands in the South China Sea in 1974 and the two countries fought a border war in 1979. They were at odds over Vietnam's 1979-89 occupation of Cambodia and clashed in the disputed Spratly Islands in 1988.
They remain in dispute over parts of their land border, the undemarcated Gulf of Tonkin, the Spratlys and oil-drilling rights in parts of the South China Sea, which Vietnam calls the Eastern Sea.
But both countries are devoting their energies to building market economies.
"Today, we are learning from each other and carrying out mutually beneficial cooperation in nation building," Jiang said in his statement.
"We are pleased with the fresh progress achieved in all facets of our bilateral relations since they returned to normal three years ago."