Senior Chinese leader Jia Qinglin arrived in Bali, an island province of Indonesia, Friday evening to start a five-day official goodwill visit to Indonesia.

In a written speech he delivered at the airport, Jia said China and Indonesia are friendly and close neighbors and big developing countries that share great responsibility for peace and development in the region and the world.

Jia said China places great importance on its relations with Indonesia and is ready to work with Indonesia to make unremitting efforts for common development of both countries and for regional peace, stability and prosperity.

Jia said he is looking forward to exchanging opinions with Indonesian leaders on bilateral relations and other regional and international issues of common concern. He expressed the hope that his visit would contribute to deepening mutual understanding, forging closer friendship between the two countries, and further expanding their strategic partnership.

Jia, chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), is visiting Indonesia at the invitation of Hidayat Nur Wahid, chairman of the People's Consultative Assembly of Indonesia.

Jia was greeted at the airport by Mooryati Soeduap, vice- chairman of the People's Consultative Assembly, and other high- ranking Indonesian officials.

Before flying to Bali, Jia concluded an official goodwill visit to Vietnam Friday afternoon. Nguyen Van Son, chairman of the Commission for External Relations of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV), and Huynh Dam, vice chairman of Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF), saw Jia off at the hotel where Jia stayed. During the meeting, Jia said he had exchanged views with Vietnamese leaders on advancing China-Vietnam relations in the new era. Jia said he was deeply impressed by the fact that the CPV, the Vietnamese government and people attach great importance to the friendship between Vietnam and China.

Jia emphasized that expanding good-neighborly and friendly China-Vietnam relations is the firm guidelines of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and Chinese government. He expressed full confidence in enhancing the relations between the CPC and the CPV and between China and Vietnam to a higher level.

During his visit to Vietnam, Jia also visited Da Nang, Hoi An and Ho Chi Minh City. He met with local officials in these places and exchanged views with them on promoting trade, economic cooperation, investment and infrastructure development at local levels between the two countries. He also discussed cooperation between local branches of the CPPCC and local organization of the VFF.

Source: Xinhua