China, Vietnam to establish fishery hotline

BEIJING - During Vietnamese President Truong Tan Sang's China visit from June 19 to 21, China and Vietnam signed an agreement on establishing a hotline to deal with fishery incidents, according to a joint statement released Friday.

The two neighboring countries will properly handle such incidents "in accordance with bilateral friendly relations," according to the joint statement.

It said the two sides will continue to implement the Beibu Gulf Fishery Cooperation Agreement, which was signed on December 25, 2000 and went into effect from June 30, 2004, as well as actively explore new joint inspection methods for shared fishery districts.

During his three-hour-long talks with Sang on Wednesday, Chinese President Xi Jinping said China and Vietnam should push forward in seeking a political solution to the South China Sea issue.

The two countries will also enhance cooperation to promote the "common development" of border areas, the joint statement said, noting that the two sides also established a committee on border management and cooperation during the visit.

In regards to economic concerns, the two sides will further cooperation in agriculture, fishery, transportation, energy, mining, manufacturing and other fields, as well as expand trade and promote financial cooperation, according to the joint statement.