China and Viet Nam issued a joint statement in Beijing Monday, December 25. The following is the full text of the statement:

Joint Statement on All-round Cooperation in the New Century Between the People's Republic of China and the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam.

The People's Republic of China and the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam (hereafter referred to as the "two sides") are socialist neighbors with long-standing traditional friendly relations. since the establishment of diplomatic ties 50 years ago, the relations between China and Viet Nam have continued to grow and develop.

Since the normalization of relations in 1991 and on the basis of the principles enshrined in the Joint Communiques and Joint Statement issued during the meetings of high-level leaders in 1991, 1992, 1994, 1995 and 1999 respectively, the traditional friendly relations of mutual trust, equality and mutual benefit between the two counties have developed rapidly in all fields and there have been frequent exchanges between departments at all levels.

In February 1999, the General Secretaries of the two Parties set the principle guiding the development of this bilateral relationship in the 21st century, namely, "long-term stability, orientation towards the future, good-neighborliness and friendship and all-round cooperation." This is in the fundamental interests of the two peoples and will serve regional and world peace, stability and development.

The two sides reiterate that they will continue to promote the all-round development of their state-to-state relationship in compliance with the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence and the universally acknowledged norms governing international relations. The Communist Party of China and the Communist Party of Viet Nam will continue to develop their friendly relations and cooperation on the basis of independence, complete equality, mutual respect and non-interference in each other's internal affairs.

In order to implement the guiding principle effectively and bring China-Viet Nam relations to a new stage of development in the 21st century, the two sides agree to boost and expand cooperation in the following areas:

I. To maintain frequent high-level meetings so as to give a fresh impetus to the development of the bilateral relations; to further enhance the friendly contacts and multi-form exchanges and cooperation between departments, people's organizations and various localities of the two countries.

II. To step up the promotion of and education in the tradition of friendship among the young people of the two countries; to carry out friendly exchanges and contacts between the youth, with a view to contributing to deeper friendship and mutual trust between the two peoples and ensuring that there will be qualified successors to carry on the cause of friendship, mutual trust and cooperation between the two peoples and that the cause will develop in depth.

III. To continue to strengthen and expand bilateral cooperation in such areas as the economy and trade and science and technology in accordance with the principles of equality and mutual benefit, stress on results, sharing each other's strengths, multi-forms and common development. To this end, the two sides agree to work together in the following aspects.

1. to give full play to the role of the Inter-governmental Commission on Economic Cooperation and Trade in strengthening the economic relations, trade and investment cooperation between the two countries. to adopt such forms as giving further play to the role of big companies as the main channel, increasing bulk commodities trade, encouraging and supporting the enterprises of the two countries in cooperation on major projects in order to expand the bilateral economic relations, trade and investment. To foster a sound market environment and constantly tap the potentials to ensure sustained and steady increase in two-way trade. To maintain stable investment policies and create favorable conditions of mutual investment by the enterprises of the two countries; and to actively implement the Border Trade Agreement, strengthen coordination and management and standardize border trade.

2. To give play to the role of macro guidance and coordination of the Inter-governmental Commission on Science and Technology Cooperation to facilitate exchanges and cooperation in the areas of science and technology. To guide and encourage the relevant governmental departments, institutions of scientific research, universities and colleges, and enterprises in the science and technology sector to carry out extensive scientific-technological cooperation in the fields of information, biology and agriculture, meteorology, oceanology, environmental protection, peaceful use of nuclear power and other areas of shared interest.

3. To make efforts to facilitate mutually beneficial cooperation in agriculture, forestry and fishing, and encourage the relevant enterprises and departments to strengthen exchanges and cooperation in such fields as the crops, domestic animals and poultry of fine breeds, processing of agriculture and forestry products, agricultural machine-building, offshore fishing, and aquatic culture and give them support in such work.

4. To step up exchanges and cooperation in the fiscal and financial fields and in the macro control of the economy.

5. To enhance cooperation in communication and transportation, jointly develop international railway passenger-cargo through transport between the two countries and extend international railway transport connection to third countries, with a view to promoting people-to-people and commodity exchanges.

6. To encourage greater exchanges and cooperation between telecommunications agencies of the two countries in the modernization of telecom networks, applied new technology and opening up new services, etc.

7. To expand cooperation in tourism and encourage tourism agencies of the two countries to share experience and boost cooperation in management, promotion, marketing and personnel training, and provide facilities for citizens of the two countries and third countries in traveling in the two countries.

8. To intensify information sharing and cooperation in environmental protection, prevention and relief of disasters, meteorology and hydrology and work together in the development of the Mekong River area.

9. To broaden cooperation and share experience in the planning, construction, management and development of cities and personnel training.

IV. To continue to strengthen bilateral cooperation and coordination at the UN, ARF, East Asia Cooperation, APEC, ASEM and other international and regional multilateral fronts and promote the solidarity and cooperation of the developing countries. To continue to work for the establishment of a just and rational new international political and economic order and make new contributions to the maintenance of peace, stability and development in the region and the world at large.

The two sides appreciate the positive role played by ASEAN for regional stability and development and reiterate that they will continue to work for the strengthening of the partnership of mutual trust and good neighborliness between China and ASEAN countries and make positive efforts for the sustained stability and prosperity of Asia, and East Asia in particular.

To continue to consolidate the annual consultation mechanism between senior foreign affairs officials of the two countries to exchange views on bilateral relations and regional and international issues of common interest.

V. To carry out multi-level military exchanges in various fields to enhance mutual understanding and mutual trust, build closer relations between the national defense organs and the armed forces between the two countries, and expand exchange and cooperation in the security field.

VI. To enhance exchanges and cooperation between the cultural, sports and media circles of the two countries, such as encouraging more exchanges of visits and experiences and personnel training.

VII. To expand cooperation in education, including exchanges of students and teachers, encouraging and supporting closer direct cooperation between universities, educational departments and research institutes of the two sides.

VIII. To strengthen cooperation in preventing and combating organized transnational crimes and the exchanges and cooperation between the courts, procuratorates, public security authorities, judicial and administrative organs of the two sides. To enhance exchange of experience between the discipline inspection and supervisory authorities of the two countries in combating corruption and promoting clean government.

IX. The two sides agree that the Land Boundary Treaty Between the People's Republic of China and the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam, the Agreement Between the People's Republic of China and the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam on the Delimitation of the Beibu Bay Territorial Sea, the Exclusive Economic Zone and Continental Shelves and the Agreement Between the Government of the People's Republic of China and the Government of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam on Fishing Cooperation in the Beibu Bay that the two sides have signed are of profound historic significance. The signing of these documents will help bring about further development of the relations of good neighborliness and friendship and all-round cooperation between the two countries in the 21st century. The two sides undertake to implement in real earnest these agreements and cooperate with each other effectively in building the border between them into a peaceful, friendly and permanently stable one.

The two sides agree to maintain the existing negotiation mechanism on the marine issue and to persist in seeking a fundamental and everlasting solution acceptable to both sides through peaceful negotiations. Pending the solution, the two sides will, in a spirit of tackling easier issues before difficult ones, actively explore the possibilities and measures for conducting marine cooperation in ocean environment protection, meteorology, hydrology, disaster prevention and alleviation. At the same time, they will not take actions to complicate or aggravate disputes. Nor will they resort to force or threat of force. They will consult each other in time in case of disputes and adopt a cool and constructive attitude to handle them properly. They will not allow disputes to impede the normal development of their relations.

X. The two sides reaffirm their consensus reached in the China- Vietnam Joint Communiques signed on 10 November 1991, 22 November 1994 and 2 December 1995 respectively and the China-Vietnam Joint Statement signed on 27 February 1999 that Viet Nam restates its one-China policy and that Viet Nam recognizes that there is but one China in the world, that the Government of the People's Republic of China is the sole legal government representing the whole of China and that Taiwan is an inalienable part of Chinese territory. Viet Nam will continue to uphold the one-China policy and will conduct only unofficial economic exchanges and trade with Taiwan and will never develop any official relationship with Taiwan. China understands and appreciates the above position of Viet Nam, and it reiterates that the Taiwan question is entirely an internal affair of China and that China is firmly opposed to the establishment of any official relations in any form or any exchanges of an official nature with Taiwan by countries having diplomatic relations with China.

Done in duplicate in Beijing on 25 December 2000 in the Chinese and Vietnamese languages, both texts being equally authentic.

(Signed) Tang Jiaxuan (Signed) Nguyen Dy Nien Minister of Foreign Affairs Minister of Foreign Affairs

(People’s Daily 12/25/2000)