Chinese, Vietnamese leaders agree to further ties

The Chinese government will consistently support Vietnam's early entry into the World Trade Organization and hopes an early conclusion of its WTO negotiations, said Chinese President Hu Jintao Friday in Santiago.

The Chinese president made the remarks while meeting with his Vietnamese counterpart Tran Duc Luong on the eve of the 12th Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders' Meeting. Both China and Vietnam are members of the forum.

Hu said bilateral relations, guided by the principles of long-term stability, orientation towards the future, good-neighborly friendship and all-around cooperation, have progressed soundly.

The two countries have maintained frequent exchanges of high-level visits, with smooth development of bilateral cooperation in various fields, he added.

The two countries' land border demarcation is progressing smoothly while the two agreements on Beibu Gulf are under implementation, the Chinese president noted.

The Chinese president, who arrived in the Chilean capital Thursday for a state visit and attending the 12th APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting, said China attaches great importance to the development of Sino-Vietnamese relations, and places it on an important position of China's neighboring diplomacy.

China is willing to work together with Vietnam to push forward bilateral ties to a new stage, Hu added.

Both economies of China and Vietnam are highly complementary, Hu noted, adding that both governments should encourage their enterprises to expand cooperation in the sectors of trade, energy, industry and infrastructure construction.

The Vietnamese president, for his part, reaffirmed Hanoi's willingness to further strengthen cooperation with China in various fields.

Hanoi will work together with the Chinese side to advance bilateral friendly cooperation in an all-around fashion, said the Vietnamese president.