China and Vietnam's statement on building a "community for a shared future" carries "strategic significance", the Chinese defence ministry said on Thursday.

China will deepen exchanges with Vietnam on military services and arms, Wu Qian, a ministry spokesperson, told a press briefing.

Chinese President Xi Jinping visited Hanoi earlier this month, and the two countries announced the establishment of a strategic China-Vietnam community of a "shared future" to promote the upgrading of their ties. (Reporting by Beijing Newsroom; Editing by Tom Hogue)