A Chinese foreign ministry spokesman announced in Beijing on Friday that at the invitation of the Vietnamese side, member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and Minister of Foreign Affairs Wang Yi, member of the CPC Central Committee Secretariat and Minister of Public Security Wang Xiaohong, and Minister of National Defense Dong Jun will be in Vietnam from March 15 to 17 for the first ministerial meeting of the China-Vietnam "3+3" strategic dialogue on diplomacy, defense and public security.
Guo Jiakun, the spokesman also announced that Wang Yi will co-chair the 17th meeting of the China-Vietnam Steering Committee for Bilateral Cooperation with leader from the Vietnamese side.
Responding to a query about the significance of the mechanism, Guo noted that "China and Vietnam are socialist friends and neighbors and a community with a shared future that carries strategic significance. Under the personal guidance and with the commitment of the top leaders of both parties and countries, the two sides have established the '3+3' strategic dialogue on diplomacy, defense and public security at the ministerial level. This is the first ‘3+3’ mechanism each side established with other countries, and this fully demonstrates the strategic significance and high level of the relations between the two parties and two countries."
During the meeting of the “3+3” mechanism, Foreign Minister Wang Yi, Public Security Minister Wang Xiaohong and Defense Minister Dong Jun will have in-depth exchanges of views with the Vietnamese side on political and security issues, cooperation on fighting crimes, defense cooperation, and the international and regional situation, Guo said.
At the 17th meeting of the Steering Committee, the two sides will, focusing on the six overarching goals of building closer bilateral relations, discuss detailed measures on deepening the building of the China-Vietnam community with a shared future, advance political cooperation and cooperation in areas of connectivity, trade, investment, and cultural and people-to-people exchange, and provide stronger impetus for regional stability and development through consistent China-Vietnam cooperation, he said.
"China stands ready to work with Vietnam to follow the strategic guidance of the top leaders of the two parties and two countries, coordinate high-quality development and high-level security, and ensure the success of the two major mechanisms. This will deepen and substantiate China-Vietnam comprehensive strategic cooperation, bring more benefits to the two peoples, and make greater contributions to regional peace, stability, development and prosperity," Guo said.
China, Vietnam to hold first "3+3" strategic dialogue at ministerial level: spokesman
A new Type 055 guided-missile destroyer, the Dongguan (Hull 109), recently completed its first maritime training at the waters of the East China Sea after commissioning to the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy.
During this combat-oriented training exercise, the Dongguan not only completed single-vessel training subjects such as navigating through narrow waterways and damage control, but also coordinated with other warships in the formation to conduct joint operation drills, including maritime assault missions, at-sea replenishment, and multi-domain coordinated strikes.
With the improved performance of weaponry and equipment, the software and hardware of the Dongguan are vastly different from those of previous vessels. Sailors onboard the warship said that it's much more well-equipped and responsive.
"The Dongguan can now observe farther and hear more clearly. From detecting the target to launching strikes, it may take only a few seconds. However, seeing farther and wider also brings exponentially more interference factors. This requires us to practice and observe more frequently to accumulate experience, so as to enable rapid identification and efficient response," said Guo Tian, a lieutenant onboard the Gongguan.
In addition to diversified subjects with a clear combat focus, the Dongguan also faced challenges posed by harsh weather conditions during the training exercise. The crew remained at their posts throughout the process, demonstrating exceptional skills in maneuvering the vessel.
"To accelerate the combat readiness of the vessel, we participated fully in the testing and trial navigation missions from the very beginning of taking over the ship. The very first power trial navigation was independently completed by our own crew. Throughout this process, we not only learned how to operate the ship, but also understood the working principles behind its operation. This has laid a solid foundation for our combat-oriented training and equipment maintenance," said Zhang Chen, a helmsman onboard the Dongguan.
"During this maritime training exercise, we adhered to a problem-oriented approach. By creating complex settings and simulating real combat scenarios, we thoroughly tested the quality and effectiveness of the integration of trial and training during the equipment handover period, while systematically validating the combat effectiveness of the new equipment. Next, we will further optimize deployment, consolidate our foundation, strengthen coordination and cooperation, actively integrate into formation and group training, and continuously enhance the vessel’s comprehensive combat capabilities," said Shen Kai, commanding officer onboard the Dongguan.
The Type 055 destroyer is the fourth-generation destroyer independently developed and built by China. As one of the Chinese PLA Navy's most advanced surface warships, it carries advanced radar, universal vertical launch systems, and comprehensive radio frequency system, serving as the core the naval fleets for far-sea missions.
The Dongguan was commissioned to the PLA Navy together with another Type 055, the Anqing (Hull 110). With these additions, the number of China's Type 055 10,000-ton-class destroyers has risen to 10 since the first Type 055 destroyer Nanchang (Hull 101) was commissioned in 2020.
China's newly commissioned Type 055 destroyer Donggaun completes 1st maritime training
