By Shannon Tiezzi
Yang Jiechi’s visit to Hanoi will be the first high-level China-Vietnam exchange since the oil rig crisis began.
China’s Foreign Ministry announced today that State Councilor Yang Jiechi, one of China’s top foreign policy advisers, is heading to Vietnam. Yang is schedule to co-host an annual diplomatic meeting with Vietnam’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh on June 18. It will be the highest-level bilateral meeting between China and Vietnam since the two countries began butting heads over the placement of a Chinese oil rig.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying noted that Yang’s visit was pre-planned; he will be in Hanoi for the annual Chairmen’s Meeting of the China-Vietnam Steering Committee of Bilateral Cooperation. However, the recent spat between China and Vietnam will obviously be on the agenda. Hua expressed China’s hope for “candid and thorough” talks. “We hope that Vietnam can bear in mind the big picture, work with China towards the same goal and properly deal with the current situation,” she said.
Vietnam has also expressed hope that Yang’s visit can help ease tensions. The Associated Press quoted a Vietnamese Foreign Ministry spokesperson as saying, “This meeting, therefore, will surely be a channel and an event where the two sides can discuss the issue to find solutions to the current tension.”
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