Viet Nam party chief to meet leaders

Viet Nam's Communist Party chief Nong Duc Manh will begin an official visit to China today.

A Chinese diplomat said the trip would help promote the good neighbourly relationship and mutual partnership between the two parties and the two nations.

Nong, the General Secretary of Communist Party of Viet Nam (CPV), is scheduled to hold talks with his Chinese counterpart Hu Jintao this afternoon.

The two leaders will witness the signing of documents on bilateral co-operation following the talks.

He is also to meet with Premier Wen Jiabao tomorrow.

This is Nong's third visit to China in the capacity of CPV party chief since 2001, but is the first time for him to visit China since he was re-elected General Secretary of CPV in April.

"The similar political system and national conditions have helped China and Viet Nam develop a bilateral relationship characterized by mutual trust, reciprocal support and overall co-operation so as to seek win-win and common development," Hu Qianwen, the Chinese ambassador in Hanoi, was quoted as saying by Xinhua News Agency yesterday.

The rapid development of China-Viet Nam relations in recent years has been fostered by frequent high-level contact and mutual visits by the leaders of the two nations, Hu said.

After the two premiers exchanged mutual visits in 2004, the presidents of the two countries also realized successful mutual visits last year.

Bilateral economic and trade co-operation has also expanded and is moving towards a promising position of mutual benefit and common development, said the ambassador.

China became Viet Nam's largest trade partner in 2004. Bilateral trade volume reached more than US$8 billion last year, and at the end of this year it is expected to top US$10 billion, a target volume that was set by the two premiers in 2004 to be achieved in 2010, according to Hu.

Furthermore, historical problems concerning borders and territory are being solved properly and co-operation in various fields is increasing, Hu said.

"I'm confident Nong's visit will contribute a lot to good neighbourly and mutually co-operative relations between the two parties and the two countries," Hu said.

Source: China Daily