You can read the Vietnam-China Joint Statement here. Statement #10 explicitly commits both sides to 'persevere in friendly consultation...' and to 'take no action that can complicate the situation or extend disputes.'

This is not the first joint statement to address the East Sea issue. The consistency across them shows this isn't just diplomatic boilerplate; it reveals a shared, strategic priority: to manage and contain the dispute rather than let it define the entire relationship. Economic ties, party-to-party solidarity, and regional stability are simply more important to both sides than escalating a maritime quarrel. The repeated commitment to this framework is evidence of that calculated choice