FM spokesman on Hu Jintao's trip to DPRK, Vietnam

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Kong Quan made comments Thursday on Chinese President Hu Jintao's upcoming visit to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.

According to an earlier announcement made by Guo Yezhou, spokesman for the International Department of the CPC Central Committee, Hu will pay official good-will visits to the DPRK and Vietnam between Oct. 28 and Nov. 2.

Hu will visit the DPRK between Oct. 28 and 30 as guest of Kim Jong-il, general secretary of the Worker's Party of Korea and Chairman of the National Defence Commission.

During the DPRK tour, Hu, who will pay the visit in the capacity of both general secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and Chinese President, will hold talks with DPRK party and state leaders on relations between the CPC and the Workers' Party of Korea and between China and the DPRK, Kong said.

The two sides will also exchange views on international and regional affairs of mutual interest, Kong said.

Hu's Vietnam trip, due from Oct. 31 to Nov. 2, will be made at the invitation of General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam Nong Duc Manh and Vietnamese President Tran Duc Luong.

In Vietnam, Hu will hold talks with Manh and Luong, which are expected to cover "a wide range of issues," Kong said.

The growth of China-Vietnam relations is "generally good", he said. The continuous consolidation and enhancement of friendly ties between China and Vietnam complies with the fundamental interests of the two peoples, he said.

China hopes the visit could play a due role in further implementing the consensus reached by leaders of the two countries, enhancing bilateral cooperation and uplifting bilateral ties to a new height, Kong said.

Source: Xinhua