Officials of Vietnam and China have agreed to peacefully solve the two countries’ disputes through negotiation to maintain peace in the East Sea, according to a joint statement.

The statement, published on Vietnam News Agency website Sunday, said Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Ho Xuan Son met with Chinese State Councillor Dai Bingguo in Beijing on June 25 to convey the Vietnamese leaders’ opinions about bilateral relations and the East Sea situation. Earlier, Deputy Foreign Minister Son also held talks with his Chinese counterpart Zhang Zhijun.

“The two sides want the relationship between Vietnam and China to develop in a healthy and stable way, meeting the common aspirations and fundamental interests of the Vietnamese and Chinese people, which will benefit peace, stability and development in the region,” the statement said.

Officials have agreed to employing effective measures and working together to support peace and stability in the East Sea. “They also stressed the need to steer public opinion along the correct direction, avoiding comments and deeds that harm the friendship and trust of the people between the two countries,” according to the statement.

The two sides agreed to speed up negotiations and sign an “Agreement on basic principles guiding the settlement of sea issues between Vietnam and China”, and to adhere to the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea.

China’s recent acts in the East Sea, including harassing Vietnam ships within that Vietnam’s territorial waters, have caused concerns among the international community, prompting many countries like the US, Japan and Singapore to call for peaceful resolutions.