The agreements (The Delimitation of the Territorial Sea, Exclusive Economic Zone and Continental Shelf of the Two Countries in Beibu Bay and the Agreement between the two sides on Fishery Co-operation in Beibu Bay) reflect the sincerity of both sides in promoting good neighbourly relations and all-round co-operation, President Jiang said while meeting with visiting Vietnamese President Tran Duc Luong.

Jiang said that the agreements are of deep historical significance for long-term stability in Beibu Bay and lasting bilateral relations and will also contribute to overall world peace and development .

Beibu Bay is a semi-enclosed bay surrounded by territories belonging to China and Viet Nam. The negotiations between China and Viet Nam on border delimitation in Beibu Bay have been going on for years. Fishermen of the two countries have enjoyed traditional co-operative relations in Beibu Bay, and the fishing agreement is an important component of the border delimitations in Beibu Bay.

Commenting on the future of the development of bilateral relations, Jiang stressed four points:

First, to develop friendly relations based on the five principles of peaceful co-existence.

Second, to maintain high-level and multi-level contacts; to enhance co-operation in regional and international affairs.

Third, to give priority to co-operation in economic and trade fields.

Fourth, to implement in earnest the agreements on the delimitation of borders in Beibu Bay and on fishing, and to co-operate in building the border between the two countries into a peaceful, friendly and permanently stable one.

Echoing Jiang's remarks, Luong said the agreements set a solid foundation for all-round co-operation between the two nations.

Luong highly praised the great progress achieved by China after its opening-up. He said he was sincerely happy to see the rapid rise of China in the international community.

Luong said Viet Nam will forever remember the precious support and selfless help during the period of Viet Nam's struggle for national liberation and its socialist construction.

Luong called for the enhancement of co-operation with China in the international community, noting that Viet Nam is willing to promote relations between China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

On the Taiwan question, Luong restated the one-China policy, noting 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 conduct only unofficial economic exchanges and trade with Taiwan and will never develop any official relationship with Taiwan, Luong said.

After the meeting, Jiang and Luong attended the ceremony for the signing of the joint statement for future co-operation.

The two sides, according to the statement, agreed to boost and expand co-operation in various areas.

The two sides agreed to step up the promotion of education among the young people of the two countries and to expand bilateral co-operation in the areas of economy and trade and science and technology.

The two sides will strengthen bilateral co-operation and co-ordination in international and regional multilateral fronts and carry out multi-level military exchanges in various fields to enhance mutual understanding and mutual trust.

(China Daily 12/26/2000)