China and Vietnam have agreed to strengthen
military cooperation, increase contacts between high-ranking officers and
establish a hotline for the two defense ministries, in a bid to cool tensions
between the Communist-ruled neighbors.
The two countries, which have
a history of distrust, also agreed to launch a pilot project of joint patrols
along their land border, continue joint naval patrols in the Beibu Gulf and
increase mutual visits of naval warships, the official Xinhua news agency
reported on Saturday.
Earlier in the week, China and
Vietnam signed an agreement seeking to contain a dispute over the South China
Sea, a potentially oil and gas rich body of water spanned by key shipping lanes
that sees the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia and Taiwan -- also stake conflicting
claims of sovereignty over parts of the waters.
A joint statement by China and
Vietnam was issued at the end of Vietnamese Communist Party chief Nguyen Phu
Trong's first visit to China this week where he held conciliatory talks with Hu
Jintao, who is China's Communist Party chief and president.
The two countries also
reaffirmed their political will to settle maritime issues through negotiations
and friendly consultations, Xinhua said quoting the statement.
Both countries also said they
will seek to achieve steady progress in negotiations regarding the maritime
demarcation of the baymouth of the Beibu Gulf and discuss the joint development
of the sea area, Xinhua said quoting the statement.
(Reporting by Melanie Lee; Editing by Sanjeev Miglani)
Source : Reuters
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