China, Vietnam agree to strengthen military cooperation

China and Vietnam pledged to strengthen military cooperation in a joint statement issued on Saturday. The two sides agreed to intensify contacts between high-ranking officers, maintaining vice-ministerial strategic dialogue between the two defense ministries, push forward the establishment of hot-line between the two defense ministries and enhance personnel training and contacts between junior officers. The two countries also agreed to launch a pilot project of joint patrols along their land border at a proper time, continue joint naval patrols in the Beibu Gulf and increase mutual visits of the two countries' naval warships. The statement was issued at the end of Vietnamese Communist Party chief Nguyen Phu Trong's first visit to China from Oct. 11-15 at the invitation of Hu Jintao, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and Chinese president.