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China's State Councilor and Minister for Foreign Affairs Wang Yi will be making a working visit to Singapore from Sep. 13 to 14, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) said in a statement today (Sep. 12).

During his visit to Singapore, MFA said that Wang would call on Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and Deputy Prime Minister and Coordinating Minister for Economic Policies Heng Swee Keat.

MFA added that Wang would also be meeting Minister for Foreign Affairs Vivian Balakrishnan.

Wang Yi in Vietnam

Wang is currently in Hanoi, Vietnam, as he begins his tour in the region from Sep. 10.

Reuters reported a statement by the Chinese foreign ministry that Wang Yi told a Vietnamese official that China and Vietnam should refrain from unilateral actions regarding the South China Sea that could complicate the situation and magnify disputes.

He said that the two countries should cherish the hard-won peace and stability achieved in the South China Sea.

Vietnam should be vigilant to resist "intervention" by extraterritorial forces: Wang Yi

According to the Chinese ministry's statement, Wang also said that Vietnam should be vigilant to resist the intervention of extraterritorial forces.

In response, Vietnam's Deputy Prime Minister Pham Binh Minh said in a statement it was important for both China and Vietnam to respect each other's legitimate rights and interests, following international law and the United Nations Convention on the Laws of the Sea (UNCLOS).

The Vietnamese statement added that during his visit, both countries agreed to continue to strictly adhere to high-level common perceptions, manage disagreements, avoid complicating situations or expanding disputes and jointly maintain peace and stability in the disputed waters.

Reuters also reported that on Sep. 10, Vietnam said China would donate 3 million more doses of the Covid-19 vaccine to the country this year.

This would mean that in total, Vietnam receives 5.7 million doses of the Covid-19 vaccine from China.

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Top image via Viet Nam Government Portal/Facebook