The Sixth Meeting of China-Vietnam People’s Forum Held in Nanning

The CPAFFC， the China-Vietnam Friendship Association (CVFA)， Vietnam Union of Friendship Organizations (VUFO) and the Vietnam-China Friendship Association (VCFA) jointly held the Sixth Meeting of China-Vietnam People’s Forum in Nanning， capital of China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region， from December 1 to 3， 2014， attracting delegates from political， economic， academic and media circles long engaged in promoting China-Vietnam relations.

The Chinese delegation was headed by Qi Jianguo， CVFA Vice President and a former Chinese Ambassador to Vietnam; the Vietnamese delegation was led by Pham Van Chuong， Vice President of VUFO and the Vietnam Peace and Development Foundation.

The theme of the discussions was “Safeguarding Traditional Friendship and Promoting Pragmatic Cooperation”. Delegates had candid discussions on the present China-Vietnam relationship and offered ideas for future development.

The two sides agreed on the following: (1) China-Vietnam friendship has a solid foundation， meticulously fostered by Chairman Mao Zedong， Chairman Ho Chi Minh and other state leaders of the older generation and carried forward by the present generation supported by the overwhelming majority of people on both sides. More efforts should be made through people-to-people channels to carry on the work from generation to generation.

(2) China and Vietnam are neighboring major socialist countries， each considering the other’s development as an opportunity for its own development. Under the circumstances of economic globalization and regional integration， they should stick to the principle of “maintaining long-term stability， looking ahead， deepening good-neighborly relations and carrying out cooperation in all aspects”， the spirit of “good neighbors， friends， comrades and partners” and the China-Vietnam comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership. On this basis， pragmatic cooperation in various fields should be promoted to push bilateral relations to a new high.

(3) Maritime disputes are practical matters in China-Vietnam relations. The two sides should make good use of the existing negotiation mechanism， earnestly implement the Agreement on Basic Principles Guiding the Settlement of Maritime Issues Between China and Vietnam and relevant international laws， to properly settle any disputes， in a bid to make new contributions to the sound and stable development of bilateral relations as well as peace， stability and prosperity of the whole region.

Vice President Feng Zuoku of the CPAFFC， Deputy Governor Zhang Xiaoqin of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region and Vice Mayor Tao Lijian of Guilin respectively met with Chinese and Vietnamese delegates. During their stay in Guilin， the delegates visited Nanxishan Hospital (built in 1960s by the Chinese Government as a rear hospital supporting Vietnam’s War of Resistance Against America) and the Memorial Hall of Vietnam School (a general term for Vietnamese schools moved to China during 1950s~1970s) in Guangxi Normal University.