China, Vietnam militaries to consult as ties strengthen

The 9th Defense and Security Consultation between the defense ministries of China and Vietnam will be held in Chengdu, capital city of Southwest China’s Sichuan Province, on November 4, Colonel Wu Qian, spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense, told a regular press conference on Thursday.

Admiral Sun Jianguo, deputy chief of the Joint Staff Department of the Central Military Commission, and General Nguyen Chi Vinh, deputy defense minister of Vietnam, will co-host the consultation. Both sides will exchange indepth views on such issues of common concern as the regional and international situation and military-to-military relationships, according to Wu.

Defense and security consultation between the defense ministries of China and Vietnam started in 2005, and stalled for three years between 2007 and 2009.

“The communication between militaries represents a high level of communication, which means China and Vietnam currently have great trust in each other and would like to further improve the relations,” Gu Xiaosong, an expert on Southeast Asian studies at the Guangxi Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Friday.

Gu said that even though Sino-Vietnamese relations experienced mistrust and sensitivity in past years, they have been developing since 2014, especially under the greater background that the countries in the South China Sea region are sharing friendly and peaceful relations with China.

The 9th consultation would be the first time that it is held in a Chinese city other than Beijing.