China and Vietnam should join hands to create a bright future for bilateral relations, said Chinese President Xi Jinping in an article published Thursday.
China and Vietnam are friendly neighbors linked by mountains and rivers, and the two peoples have a long history of friendship, Xi said in the signed piece, carried by Vietnamese newspaper Nhan Dan, or The People.
The article went public as Xi, who is also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, arrived in Hanoi for his first state visit to the country at the invitation of General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee Nguyen Phu Trong and Vietnamese President Truong Tan Sang.
In recent history, the two nations supported each other and shared weal and woe in their struggle for national independence and liberation, recalled the Chinese president.
In the new era, sharing the same beliefs and having their future and destiny closely connected, the two countries have been supporting each other in the building of socialism, and are enjoying increasingly enriched bilateral relations, more and more common interests, and fruitful achievements in practical cooperation, Xi said.
China and Vietnam have established a comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership, set up many cooperation mechanisms, and remarkably advanced bilateral cooperation in various fields, Xi said.
China has been Vietnam's biggest trading partner for 11 consecutive years, and Vietnam has become China's second-largest in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, he said, adding that bilateral trade is expected to reach the target of 100 billion U.S. dollars ahead of schedule.
More importantly, the two sides, through friendly consultations, have solved the demarcation of the land border and the Beibu Gulf, laying a solid foundation for the stability, security and common development of the border regions, he said.
These achievements have proven that consolidating China-Vietnam friendship and deepening win-win cooperation meet the fundamental interests of the two countries and benefit both peoples, he added.
Xi also noted that the Chinese side is willing to maintain high-level exchanges with Vietnam in various flexible forms, strengthen strategic communication, exchange views in a timely manner on China-Vietnam ties and other major issues of common concern, and reinforce the political foundation of bilateral relations.
The two sides need to learn from each other, enhance cooperation, and achieve common development and prosperity, Xi said.
Moreover, both sides should continue to bring into full play the coordinating role of their cooperation steering committees, and link together their development strategies, added the Chinese president.
Also, both sides need to persevere in expanding exchanges and enhancing understanding to consolidate the public foundation of bilateral relations, he said, adding that China will, as always, support and encourage people-to-people and cultural exchanges between the two countries.
Finally, the two sides need to adhere to mutual understanding and friendly consultation while working together to properly handle their outstanding problems, Xi said.
