President: Strengthen China-Vietnam relations

President Xi Jinping has called for solidarity and cooperation between China and Vietnam to strengthen their ties, and underlined the need to jointly uphold peace and stability in the South China Sea and oppose politicizing the tracing of COVID-19 origins.

In a telephone conversation with General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee Nguyen Phu Trong on Friday, Xi, who is also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, stressed that the two socialist neighbors are a community with a shared future that enjoys strategic significance.

It is in the two nations' most fundamental, common and strategic interests to safeguard the security of Communist parties' governance and that of the socialist system, Xi said.

Efforts should be made to uphold the fundamental interests of the two parties, the two countries and the two peoples, and make positive contributions to the peace and development of the region and the world at large, he added.

Xi called on the two countries to step up synergies between their development strategies, intensify coordination and cooperation in regional and international affairs and practice true multilateralism for win-win cooperation.

Trong hailed the good momentum in the development of bilateral ties, saying that Vietnam attaches great importance to developing the comprehensive strategic partnership with China, and it considers the development of such a partnership with China as a top priority.

Vietnam stands ready to strengthen inter-party exchanges and mutually beneficial cooperation in various fields with China to promote their socialist cause and jointly promote regional and global peace and stability, he added.

Also on Friday, Xi spoke respectively by phone with Tonga's King Tupou VI and Solomon Islands' Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare.

He told the two leaders that China stands ready to help Pacific island countries, including Tonga and Solomon Islands, to reduce poverty, better deal with major public health crises and natural disasters, and raise their capacity to respond to climate change.

Xi said that China has been actively developing mutually beneficial and win-win cooperation with Pacific island countries, and it is willing to share its experience in poverty relief with them and help them find a path of poverty reduction and development that is suited to their national conditions.

It will establish a China-Pacific island countries cooperation center for poverty reduction and development, and is preparing to set up the China-Pacific Island Countries emergency supplies reserve, he said.

He added that China understands the special concerns of small island developing countries about the climate issue, and will support them in improving their capabilities in coping with climate change.

On bilateral ties between China and Tonga, Xi said that China stands ready to expand cooperation with it in various fields within the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative.

The country will continue to provide economic and technical assistance to Tonga with no political strings attached, implement agrotech cooperation projects and provide necessary assistance for Tonga's agricultural and fishery products to enter the Chinese market, he said.

Tupou VI said that his country will continue to resolutely support China on issues related to its core interests and play a positive role in strengthening ties between China and Pacific island countries.

While speaking to Sogavare, Xi said China highly appreciates Solomon Islands' firm adherence to the one-China policy and stands ready to work with Solomon Islands to take bilateral relations to a higher level.

Facts have proved that Solomon Islands' decision to establish diplomatic ties with China two years ago was completely correct, Xi said.

Sogavare thanked China for its support and assistance to countries around the world, including Solomon Islands, in the fight against the pandemic, and said his country will continue to firmly support China on issues concerning Taiwan, Hong Kong and Xinjiang, as well as human rights.