China and Vietnam have vowed to maintain peace in the South China Sea and resolve their disputes diplomatically.

The promise came on the heels of a meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and the first special envoy sent by Hanoi on Monday.

Xi, the general secretary of the Communist Party of China, held talks with Hoang Binh Quan, the special envoy sent by Vietnam Central Committee Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong at the Great Hall of the People.

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                                                               Maritime Peace

Vietnam expects the two sides to maintain maritime peace and stability as well as enhance bilateral cooperation.

Vietnam's message to Xi was delivered by envoy, Hoang Binh Quan, head of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee.

Trong emphasized that a good and stable bilateral relationship bode well with the interests of their respective constituents.

                                                              Bilateral ties

"China and Vietnam have many common fundamental interests and strengthening our bilateral ties will benefit the interests of our people," Trong said.

He noted that aside from maritime peace, Vietnam is exerting great efforts to strengthen trade cooperation with China and enhance economic exchanges.

Pham Nguyen Long, a senior researcher of international relations at the Vietnamese Academy of Social Sciences, said Quan's visit was primarily to discuss the South China Sea which has become a festering issue between the two sides.

"The trip is also aimed at curbing tensions over the South China Sea," he said.

Recently, Hanoi sent a diplomatic note to Beijing calling for a stop to its repeated violations of Vietnam's sovereignty in the Paracel Islands, which are also being claimed by Taiwan.

TagsPresident Xi Jinping, special envoy, Communist Party, South China Sea, china