Three ministers to seal Vietnam ties in joint trip

Three ministers will be visiting Vietnam from Sunday to Tuesday for the inaugural China-Vietnam "3+3" strategic dialogue on diplomacy, defence and public security. They are Foreign Minister Wang Yi, Defence Minister Dong Jun and Public Security Minister Wang Xiaohong. A Foreign Ministry spokesman said Wang Yi would co-chair the 17th meeting of the China-Vietnam Steering Committee for Bilateral Cooperation. "In the face of a current international landscape characterised by intertwined turbulence and change, it is essential for China and Vietnam... to strengthen strategic communication and deepen strategic co-ordination," ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said on Friday. The three ministers will meet their Vietnamese counterparts and discuss topics "including bilateral political and security co-operation, combatting crime, defence collaboration, and the international and regional situation", Guo said. During his state visit to Vietnam last year, President Xi Jinping told Communist Party of Vietnam general secretary To Lam the two countries should "oppose unilateral bullying". The two neighbours signed 45 co-operation agreements, including on supply chains, artificial intelligence, joint maritime patrols and railway development. (Xinhua & Reuters) Edited by Edmond Fong