China and Viet Nam issued Sunday a joint statement during the visit of Nong Duc Manh, general secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Viet Nam (CPV).

Manh is the guest of the General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and Chinese President Jiang Zemin.

During his visit, Manh held talks with Jiang and met respectively with Li Peng, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, Zhu Rongji, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Chinese premier, Li Ruihuan, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, and Hu Jintao, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Chinese vice president.

In the cordial and friendly talks and meetings, the statement says, both sides exchanged views on regional and international issues of common concern.

The joint statement says that Manh's visit is an important event for the two parties and two countries in the new century and the visit has been a success.

The statement says that the visit has made an important contribution to the enhancement and deepening of the fully-rounded friendly and cooperative relations between China and Viet Nam and will have a far-reaching impact on regional and global peace, stability, cooperation and development.

The Vietnamese side gives high praise to the achievements made by the CPC and the Chinese people during the past 80 years and firmly believe that greater accomplishments will be achieved in the course of building socialism with Chinese characteristics.

The Chinese side commends the historic accomplishments made by the CPV and the Vietnamese people over the last 70 years and believe that there will be greater achievements scored by Viet Nam in the construction of socialist motherland with people's affluence, national strength, social equality and democracy, it says.

The two sides are determined to proceed realistically, to explore and resolve key theoretical and practical issues in party-building and national construction so as to promote economic growth and social progress.

Both sides are satisfied with the progress made in all areas since the two countries normalized their ties, the statement says.

The two countries have signed a number of key documents, including four joint communiquis signed in 1991, 1992, 1994 and 1995, two joint statements signed in 1999 and 2000, the demarcation pacts for land border and Beibu Bay, and the Beibu Bay fishery agreement.

Both believe that the two parties, the two nations and the two peoples value the Sino-Vietnamese friendship. The enhancement of such friendly relationship is in the fundamental interests of the two nations and is conducive to peace, stability, cooperation and development in the region and the world.

Both parties are determined to adhere to the principles guiding bilateral relations and to raise the level of bilateral cooperation to new high.

Both wish to strengthen and develop an all-round cooperation between the two parties, as well as between governments, parliaments, mass organizations and localities, it says.

The statement stresses that friendly exchanges with rich content in diverse forms between young people of the two countries should be encouraged to ensure the development of the friendship from generation to generation.

On economic and scientific and technological cooperation, the statement says that the two sides should continue to expand bilateral cooperation in accordance with the guideline of equality and mutual benefit, pursuing practical results, adopting various ways and seeking common development.

Enterprises in both countries should be encouraged to explore each other's commodity market, increase investment, expand economic and technological cooperation and implement projects which will bring concrete economic gains and social benefits.

The two countries have signed two agreements, one on economic and technological cooperation and the other on China providing preferential loans to Viet Nam, the statement says.

They also agree to push forward the long-term cooperation in an aluminum mine in Viet Nam.

Viet Nam congratulates China on its accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO) and China supports Viet Nam's WTO entry at the earliest possible date, it says.

Both sides hold the same view that the agreements already reached on land borders, on the demarcation of Beibu Bay and on fishery cooperation in the Beibu Bay area are of great significance and have made positive contributions to the further development of the good-neighborly friendship and comprehensive cooperative relations between the two countries as well as to regional stability.

Both countries agree to accelerate the follow-up negotiations on the fishery agreement in accordance with the consensus reached between the leaders of the two countries to ensure the demarcation pact of Beibu Bay and the Beibu Bay fishery agreement become effective simultaneously, the statement says.

The two sides will actively promote and accelerate the survey and determination of the boundary and the erection of tablets on land borders and make the China-Viet Nam border a peaceful and friendly boundary with long-standing stability.

Both sides agree that the current negotiation mechanism on maritime issues should be maintained while seeking a thorough and long-standing solution acceptable to both through peaceful negotiations, the joint statement says.

In line with resolving easier issues ahead of more difficult ones on maritime issues, both sides should actively explore possibilities and methods in such fields as maritime environmental protection, meteorological and hydrological services, as well as in disaster reduction and relief.

At the same time, neither should take actions that could complicate or aggravate disputes, nor resort to the use of force or the threat of using force.

All disputes should be promptly handled through consultation with a calm and constructive attitude and the normal developments of bilateral ties shall not be affected by such disputes.

It says the Vietnamese side reiterates that Viet Nam recognizes the government of the People's Republic of China as China's sole legitimate government and Taiwan as an inalienable part of China. Viet Nam confines its contact with Taiwan to the level of non- official trade and economic exchanges and never develops official relations with Taiwan.

The Chinese side understands and appreciates Viet Nam's stance on the issue. The Chinese side reiterates that the Taiwan issue is China's internal affairs, and firmly opposes the formation of official relations of any form or official contact of any kind with Taiwan by countries which have diplomatic relations with China.

The joint statement says both sides are satisfied that they have reached a broad consensus on regional and international issues of common concern. They maintain that the pursuit of peace, cooperation, development and social progress is the way the world is moving. China, Viet Nam and the two peoples long for lasting world peace, a long, stable and peaceful life, the establishment of a fair and reasonable world order with common prosperity and the development of all the nations.

Both sides are opposed to hegemonism and power politics in the world affairs, and all types of terrorism. Both sides advocate that the history, culture, social system, mode of development of each country and various civilizations of the world should be respected.

Both sides appreciate the positive role of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in maintaining and promoting regional stability and development. They reiterate their determination to devote themselves to strengthening good- neighborly relations of mutual trust and partnership between China and ASEAN countries and to make efforts and contributions to the long-lasting stability and prosperity of Asia, especially East Asia, the joint statement says.

It says Manh invited Jiang to visit Viet Nam in 2002 when convenient, and Jiang accepted the invitation with pleasure.

(Xinhua News Agency December 2, 2001)