HANOI, Nov. 11 -- Senior Chinese and Vietnamese leaders have pledged to push forward the bilateral comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership to a new level.
They made the pledge during a friendly official visit to Vietnam by Zhang Dejiang, member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, and chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, China's top legislature.
At the invitation of his Vietnamese counterpart Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan, chairwoman of the National Assembly of Vietnam, who is also a member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam, Zhang arrived in Hanoi on Tuesday afternoon for a four-day friendly official visit to Vietnam which concluded on Friday.
During his visit in Hanoi, Zhang met with Nguyen Phu Trong, general secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee, Vietnamese President Tran Dai Quang, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, and held talks with his Vietnamese counterpart Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan.
Zhang also briefed the Vietnamese leaders about the sixth plenary session of the 18th CPC Central Committee, held in Beijing late last month.
STRENGTHENING PARTY RELATIONS OF CRUCIAL IMPORTANCE TO BILATERAL TIES
In meeting with Trong, Zhang conveyed the greetings to Trong from Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee. Zhang also spoke highly of achievements made by the party and state of Vietnam in recent years.
Zhang said both China and Vietnam are socialist countries under the Communist Party leadership, and it is of crucial importance to strengthen and deepen the relations between the two parties.
The Chinese side is ready to exert joint efforts with Vietnam to implement the important consensus reached by both party leaders, based on the 16-character motto of "friendly neighbourliness, comprehensive cooperation, durable stability and looking toward the future" as well as the "four good" spirit of "good neighbours, good friends, good comrades and good partners," said Zhang.
Zhang also called for both sides to carry on the traditional friendship, strengthen strategic guidance and the docking of development strategies, enrich the connotation of cooperation, enhance communications and consultation, eliminate the interferences, increase people to people exchanges, and constantly consolidate and deepen the Sino-Vietnam community of common destiny.
Trong said Vietnam's new party and state leadership attach great importance to the bilateral traditional friendship and comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership.
Vietnam will never forget China's non-selfish support in the past, and regard developing friendly ties with China as its "strategic choice and top priority in foreign policy," said the CPV general secretary.
Vietnam is ready to exert joint efforts with China, to enhance political mutual trust, expand pragmatic cooperation, properly control the differences, thus to carry on the bilateral traditional friendship from generations to generations, he added.
SINO-VIETNAM RELATIONS MAINTAIN POSITIVE DEVELOPMENT TREND
In meeting with Vietnamese President Tran Dai Quang in Hanoi on Wednesday, Zhang conveyed President Xi Jinping's greetings.
Zhang said, under the strategic guidance by the general secretaries of both parties, bilateral relationship, in overall, maintain positive development trend with the perception of "community of common destiny" gradually be rooted among people in both countries.
The two sides should grasp the correct development direction of bilateral ties, constantly consolidate the political, economic and social foundation, thus pushing forward the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership to develop in a steady and healthy manner, said the top Chinese legislator.
The Vietnamese president asked Zhang to convey his greetings to Chinese President Xi Jinping and said his country value the traditional friendship with China and will exert all efforts to developing bilateral ties.
EXPLORING NEW HIGHLIGHTS OF PRAGMATIC COOPERATION
During his meeting with Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, Zhang termed economic and trade cooperation as "important foundation" of bilateral ties.
In recent years, as pragmatic cooperation between the two countries maintain sound development in various areas, the two countries should make overall arrangements and well implement the cooperation projects, speed up the docking of the Belt and Road Initiative and Vietnam's "Two Corridors and One Economic Circle" plan, so as to bring about fruitful results to benefits both peoples.
The Vietnamese prime minister agreed with Zhang's suggestion, and said Vietnam is ready to seize the development opportunities, brought about by the docking of development strategies between the Belt and Road Initiative and "Two Corridors and One Economic Circle" plan, and constantly pushing forward the bilateral mutually-beneficial cooperation to a higher level.
SHARING EXPERIENCES IN PARTY BUILDING, GOVERNANCE AND LEGISLATIVE SUPERVISION
In meeting with his Vietnamese counterpart Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan, chairwoman of the National Assembly of Vietnam, Zhang said the two legislative bodies boast fruitful exchange and cooperation results since they established friendly ties 60 years ago.
Both sides should make it a priority to well implement the important consensus reached by both party chiefs, enhance friendly exchanges at all levels and all areas, and share experiences in party building, governance and legislative supervision, thus creating sound policy and law environment for economic and trade cooperation and personnel flow.
The Vietnamese top legislator pledged utmost efforts to safeguard the bilateral friendship and advance the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership.
During the visit, Zhang also attended the Sino-Vietnam Friendly Cooperation Forum and the 3rd Sino-Vietnam Youth Festival in Hanoi.
Zhang concluded his visit and was back to Beijing on Friday.