Vietnam Ready to Manage Maritime Disputes With China - President
BEIJING (Sputnik) - Vietnam is ready to work with China to properly manage maritime disputes and maintain stability in the region, Vietnamese President To Lam said during a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing on Monday.
"Vietnam is ready to properly control and manage maritime disputes with China, and to jointly maintain regional peace and stability," Lam was quoted as saying by the Chinese Foreign Ministry.
Hanoi is willing to cooperate with Beijing on a multilateral international level, to support multipolarity, defend international justice and actively contribute to global peace and development, he added.
Lam, who is also the general secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam, is on a state visit to China from Sunday to Tuesday. This is his first foreign trip since taking office. The visit reflects the great importance Lam places on bilateral relations, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said.
China has been engaged in decades-long disputes with several Asia-Pacific countries, including Vietnam, over the territorial ownership of certain islands in the South China Sea, where significant hydrocarbon reserves have been discovered on the continental shelf. These disputes involve the Paracel Islands, Spratly Islands and Scarborough Shoal.
