After years of distrust, Vietnam and the Philippines may finally have the opportunity to establish a truly consequential strategic partnership amid rising geopolitical uncertainty in the South China Sea.

Premier Li Keqiang told Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc on Monday to abide by a high-level consensus to contain tensions in the South China Sea over maritime disputes.

The militaries of China and Vietnam should deepen their exchanges, communication and friendship, China's defense minister said during a visit to Hanoi, amid a festering territorial dispute in the South China Sea.