Chinese vice president vows to boost ties with Vietnam

Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping (R)
meets with Ha Thi Khiet (L), member of the Secretariat and chief of the
Commission for Mass Organization of the Central Committee of the Communist
Party of Vietnam, in Beijing, capital of China, May 11, 2009.
(Xinhua/Huang Jingwen)
Photo Gallery

BEIJING, May 11 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Vice President Xi
Jinping vowed to push forward friendly ties with Vietnam on Monday, and pledged
joint efforts with the country to counter the global slump.

Xi made the pledge in his meeting with a delegation
from the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV), led by Ha Thi Khiet, member of the
Secretariat and chief of the Commission for Mass Organization of the CPV Central
Committee.

Xi said the two countries had stepped up strategic
cooperative partnership under the guidance of the 16-word principle of
"long-term stability, facing the future, good-neighborliness and friendship, and
all-round cooperation".

The two ruling parties had
enhanced exchanges of theories and experience in the building of socialism,
which had injected new vitality to bilateral party-to-party relations, he added.

Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping (R)
meets with Ha Thi Khiet, member of the Secretariat and chief of the
Commission for Mass Organization of the Central Committee of the Communist
Party of Vietnam, in Beijing, capital of China, May 11, 2009.
(Xinhua/Huang Jingwen)
Photo Gallery

China and Vietnam have completed the work of land
border demarcation and erecting border markers, paving the way for further
development of bilateral ties, he said.

As next year marks the 60th anniversary of
China-Vietnam diplomatic ties as well as a year of bilateral friendship, Xi
vowed to take the opportunity to enhance strategic trust with Vietnam and boost
ties.

With regard to the current global downturn, Xi said
China is ready to work closely with the international community including
Vietnam to get over the difficulties.

Ha told Xi it is a firm conviction of the CPV and the
Vietnamese people to maintain and strengthen traditional friendship with China.

Invited by the CPC, the CPV delegation is on a China
visit from May 10-16.