ACC Secretary-General Met with Vice Foreign Minister of Viet Nam

On 23 November 2015, ASEAN-China Centre (ACC) Secretary-General H.E. Mme. Yang Xiuping met with H.E. Mr. Le Hoai Trung, Vice Foreign Minister of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam in Hanoi, Viet Nam. Deputy Director-General of ASEAN Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Viet Nam also attended the meeting.

Secretary-General Yang said that China and Viet Nam were friendly neighbours linked by mountains and rivers, and the two peoples’ friendly exchanges could be traced back to the ancient times. The Comprehensive Strategic Cooperative Partnership between the two countries had moved steadily forward. Viet Nam had become the second largest trading partner of China among ASEAN countries. This month, Chinese President Xi Jinping successfully paid a state visit to Viet Nam, during which he clearly stated that China and Viet Nam should be good comrades, good partners, good neighbors and good friends, laying a solid foundation to the further development of China-Viet Nam functional cooperation.

Secretary-General Yang briefed on ACC’s mandate, remarking that as the only inter-governmental organization between ASEAN and China, ACC was committed to implementing the consensus reached by the leaders of both sides. The year 2016 would mark the 25th anniversary of ASEAN-China dialogue relations, as well as the Year of ASEAN-China Educational Exchange. Viet Nam was an important member of ASEAN. ACC would like to strengthen its cooperation with Viet Nam and other ASEAN countries, organize various activities, and inject new impetus to the healthy and sustainable development of ASEAN-China relations. 

Vice Minister Le Hoai Trung highly commended ACC’s efforts in promoting ASEAN-China and Viet Nam-China friendly cooperation, and considered it very meaningful for ACC in organizing the investment mission to Viet Nam for the business matching. He remarked that as the ASEAN Economic Community was launched at the recent ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, ASEAN-China relations would enter a new stage. He hoped ACC could make good use of its resources and advantages, to promote and improve the exchanges and cooperations between ASEAN-China and Viet Nam-China, so as to deepen the understanding and friendship among the peoples. Viet Nam looked forward to further cooperating with ACC, and hoped to have ACC’s support in relevant activities. 

In the same day, Secretary-General Yang paid a courtesy call to Mr. Vu Dang Dzung, former Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Viet Nam to ASEAN, and exchanged views on ASEAN-China relations.