After a meeting between China's top diplomat, State Councilor Yang Jiechi, and Vietnam Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh in Hanoi, China's foreign ministry said they had agreed to "appropriately handle the maritime problem".
China and Vietnam would "properly use a border negotiation mechanism between the two governments to seek a basic, lasting resolution both sides can accept", the Chinese foreign ministry said.
They also agreed to "manage and control maritime disputes, not take any acts to complicate or expand the disagreement".
"At present, Sino-Vietnam relations are at a crucial stage of improvement and development," the ministry cited Yang, who outranks the foreign minister, as saying.
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