BEIJING - Chinese
President Hu Jintao became the first foreign
leader to address Vietnam's parliament on November
1, using the occasion to call for closer links
between Beijing and Hanoi. Hu
said the two neighbors are both at a "crucial
stage" of reform and development, a stage that
demands more cooperation and mutual trust.
"It is in line with the fundamental
interests of the two peoples to enhance our
friendship and trust, propel [our] cooperation
[for] mutual benefit, and promote common
development," Hu told the National Assembly. Hu
said China-Vietnam relations have entered
a
new era of "all-round friendship and cooperation,"
and reiterated China's pursuit of peace, mutual
benefit and dialogue over divergences in diplomacy
with neighboring countries.
On China's
domestic front, Hu told the 500 people present
that the country had scored an average 9.4% annual
gross domestic product (GDP) growth over the past
26 years, and the GDP was expected to quadruple,
to US$4 trillion, by 2020.
Do Gia Thang, a
Vietnamese official from the government's bill
drafting committee, said he was deeply impressed
by China's development. "China's economy has
achieved great success. There is a lot we could
learn from China," Do told China Daily. "It is
natural for Vietnamese to think about learning
from China, given our similar social systems and
close cultural bonds that date back to centuries
ago."
Before the speech, Hu met with
Vietnamese Prime Minister Phan Van Khai and
National Assembly President Nguyen Van An. Phan
said that the agreements on economic and
technological cooperation signed on Monday would
usher in breakthroughs in bilateral economic
relations. Vietnam is willing to co-operate with
China in the fields of investment, border trade
and tourism to promote economic links, said Phan.
Hu arrived in Hanoi on October 31 for an
official visit. He will wind up the visit and fly
back to Beijing on November 2.
Beibu
Bay oil/gas agreement inked In a related
development, China National Offshore Oil
Corporation (CNOOC), the country's biggest
offshore oil and gas producer, on Monday signed a
framework agreement with a Vietnamese oil firm to
jointly explore oil and gas in the Beibu Bay. The
agreement was one of more than 10 deals signed by
the two countries in Hanoi on the sidelines of
talks between the top leaders.
The
agreement, based on the principle of "putting
aside disputes and jointly developing resources,"
marks a significant step in oil and gas
exploration in the South China Sea, a statement by
State-owned CNOOC said. It was published on the
website of the State-owned Assets Supervision and
Administration Commission of the State Council on
November 1.
CNOOC spokesman Liu Junshan
said the deal will build a solid foundation for
both sides to tap the oil and gas resources in the
Beibu Bay, set a good example for solving
cross-border disputes, and contribute to the
stability and development of the South China Sea
area. But he did not reveal any further details.
In March, CNOOC and State-owned oil
companies of the Philippines and Vietnam signed an
agreement on marine seismic undertaking in the
South China Sea, under which they will jointly
gather seismic data in the
140,000-square-kilometre sea area in the next
three years. The cooperation started in August,
CNOOC said.
