Vietnam’s top legislator meets with Chinese Party chief NA Chairman Nguyen Sinh Hung meets China’s Party General Secretary and President Xi Jinping (Source: VNA) Beijing - National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Sinh Hung met with China’s Party General Secretary and President Xi Jinping in Beijing on December 23 within the framework of his official friendship visit to China.  Chairman Nguyen Sinh Hung hailed the significance of the Chinese Party leader’s State visit to Vietnam in November, which he said has contributed to consolidating the bilateral time-honoured friendship and deepening the comprehensive strategic cooperation partnership.  The visit of the Vietnamese NA’s high-ranking delegation this time is to realise high-level agreements reached by the two countries over the past time, Hung stressed.  “The Vietnamese Party, State and people attach great importance to developing the neighbourly friendship and comprehensive strategic cooperation partnership with the Chinese Party, State and people on the basis of pursuing the foreign policy of peace, independence and self-reliance,” the NA leader affirmed, adding that this is the strategic choice of the Vietnamese Party, State and people.  He suggested the two nations step up the implementation of common perceptions and agreements, boost all-round and effective collaboration in all fields of economics, trade, investment, culture and education while ensuring balanced interests and mutual benefits.  He also said in the context of complicated developments in the world and regional situation, mutual support at international forums and mechanisms is significant to the revolutionary cause in each country.  Chairman Hung proposed that the two sides efficiently carry out cooperation mechanisms and programmes through the Party, Government, parliament, Fatherland Front channels and between their ministries, sectors and localities in order to further realise the bilateral comprehensive strategic cooperation partnership.  Regarding sea-related issues, the NA leader emphasised the agreement reached by Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and Party General Secretary and President Xi Jinping on strengthening political trust through the settlement of issues of different perceptions in the spirit of mutual understanding, friendship and honesty.  He confirmed Vietnam’s stance to work together with China to increase mutual understanding, maintain dialogue, and seek basic and long-term solutions acceptable to both sides.  During the settlement process, both sides should well control the situation, maintain stability and actively boost maritime cooperation, he stressed.  “The sea-related issue is an important issue in the two countries’ relations, which relates to the people’s rights, interests and sentiment, and attracts the attention from Vietnamese NA deputies and voters,” said Hung.  He continued, “Therefore, the sea issue should be addressed with a long-term strategic vision in line with international law and with full respect for each country’s legitimate interests and the Vietnam-China relations in general. Handling the issue well will help strengthen political trust and facilitate the development of the bilateral comprehensive strategic cooperation partnership”.  For his part, the Chinese leader spoke highly of the collaboration between the Vietnamese National Assembly and the Chinese National People's Congress.  The Chinese Party and State continually treasures and support this relationship as well as the friendship exchange between the two countries’ people, he affirmed, suggesting both sides maintain delegation exchanges, information and experience sharing, and mutual coordination and support at regional and international inter-parliamentary forums.  Xi Jinping expressed his belief that the upcoming 12 th National Party Congress of Vietnam will be a success and Vietnam will gain greater achievements in national construction and development process.  The two leaders reached consensus on increasing high-level meetings and visits, promoting communications on the bilateral traditional friendship, and stepping up people-to-people exchanges in order to improve public awareness and create a high consensus in society on the development of the bilateral relations, for the interests of each country, and for peace and development in the region and the world.-VNA