China and Vietnam yesterday brushed aside differences over territorial disputes and vowed to further consolidate bilateral ties on the second day of Vice-President Xi Jinping's visit to Hanoi.
Xi and Vietnamese counterpart Nguyen Thi Doan witnessed the signing of seven agreements pledging co-operation on financial, youth and health affairs and the media at Hanoi's presidential palace. One of the deals signed was for a US$200 million loan from the China Development Bank to the Bank of Investment and Development of Vietnam to help fund projects, including in the energy and telecoms sectors.
Ties between the two countries soured in May when Vietnam accused Chinese vessels of harassing Vietnamese ships within Vietnam's exclusive economic zone.
But President Hu Jintao, also party general secretary, and Vietnam Communist Party head Nguyen Phu Trong signed an agreement to maintain peace in the disputed waters during a visit by Trong to Beijing in October.
In yesterday's talks between Xi and top Vietnamese leaders, the two sides vowed to implement that consensus and maintain stability in the South China Sea, Xinhua reported.
Before the talks, a member of the Chinese delegation said that Xi's trip was not intended to attempt to negotiate a solution to the maritime dispute, adding that developing ties with neighbouring countries was a consistent foreign policy priority for China.
Xi and Trong hugged each other before the talks started.