Vietnam and China signed a series of economic agreements on Sunday to enhance trade and railway cooperation, demonstrating their close relations despite escalating tensions between them over the South China Sea.
Ten agreements were signed during Chinese Premier Li Qiang’s visit to Hanoi, reflecting Beijing’s desire to confront growing American influence in the Southeast Asian country.
These agreements specifically provide for the establishment of a railway link project between Lao Cai in northern Vietnam and Hekou in China, as well as a memorandum of understanding to establish a cross-border payment system using QR codes.
Chinese Premier Li Qiang met with Vietnamese President Tu Lam in Hanoi on Saturday, according to the Nhan Dan newspaper.
The newspaper said that the two sides agreed to “maintain high-level and regular exchanges in the fields of defence, security and foreign affairs… and expand the implementation of new mechanisms.”
She added that Vietnam will facilitate more Chinese investments in advanced technologies in the country, while Beijing will enhance market access for Vietnamese agricultural products.
The newspaper indicated that the two sides will give priority to cooperation in the field of connecting railway lines between neighboring countries.
China is Vietnam’s largest trading partner, but the relationship between the two countries is witnessing tensions, especially with regard to the South China Sea, a waterway through which trillions of dollars in trade exchanges pass every year.
Beijing has been seeking for years to expand its presence in disputed areas in the South China Sea, ignoring a 2016 ruling by an international court stating that there is no legal basis for its claims.
Last week, Hanoi protested what it described as a “violent” attack carried out by Chinese ships on Vietnamese fishermen in a disputed area at sea.
During the meeting on Saturday, Lam urged “both parties to… better manage and resolve differences” in maritime issues.
Lam took office after the death of his predecessor, Nguyen Phu Trong. He met Chinese President Xi Jinping a few weeks later, during his first foreign trip.
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