Hu Jintao (C), general secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and Chinese president, Nong Duc Manh (R), general secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam, and Vietnamese President Nguyen Minh Triet attend the opening ceremony of a website for China-Vietnam economic and trade cooperation, in Hanoi, yesterday. -Xinhua

Chinese and Vietnamese top leaders agreed in Hanoi yesterday to comprehensively promote bilateral ties while adhering to the principles of long-term stability, future-orientation, good neighborly friendship and overall cooperation.

Hu Jintao, general secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and Chinese president, held talks here Thursday afternoon with General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Nong Duc Manh and President Nguyen Minh Triet.

They exchanged in-depth views during the talks on relations between the two parties and the two countries, as well as major international and regional issues of common concern.

Hu spoke highly of Vietnam's achievements made by the Vietnamese people under the CPV's leadership and said he hoped that the Vietnamese people will build the country into a modern socialist industrialized one at an early date.

Manh said Hu's visit demonstrates the Chinese side's great attention paid to bilateral good neighborly friendship and cooperation, and its support for Vietnam as the host of the APEC (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation) Economic Leaders' Meeting.

Hu voiced his satisfaction with the development of bilateral relations and cooperation, and Manh expressed the Vietnamese side's pleasure at the extensive and in-depth development of bilateral cooperation in such fields as politics, economy, trade, culture, education, youth exchanges, science and technology.

Hu stressed that the Chinese side places much importance on bilateral relations and will work with the Vietnamese side to further promote their relations.

He made a four-point proposal for the further development of bilateral relations.

The first is to safeguard the general situation of Sino-Vietnamese friendship by strengthening high-level contacts and increasing political mutual trust.

The second is to stick to equality and reciprocity for common development and prosperity by expanding economic and trade cooperation, pushing forward cooperation in big projects, strengthening multi-lateral economic cooperation such as within the World Trade organization and the building of China-ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) free trade area.

The third is to comprehensively promote bilateral cooperation by giving full play to the cooperation mechanisms between diplomatic, defense, public security departments of the two countries, and expanding exchanges and cooperation in culture, education, science, technology, health, human resources, youth and sports.

The fourth is to safeguard common interests and strengthen coordination and cooperation in the multi-lateral fields such as in international and regional affairs. The Chinese side supports for a bigger role of Vietnam in international and regional affairs.

Hu noted that both sides should take into consideration of the general situation of bilateral relations, speed up their demarkation work, strengthen substantial cooperation in the Beibu Gulf, and promote common development in the South China Sea.

Manh said Vietnam gives priority to relations with China and hopes that both sides will enhance high-level exchanges, political mutual trust, and cooperation in culture, infrastructure, electricity and chemicals, as well as bilateral cooperation in the United Nations, APEC, ASEAN+China mechanism.

He went on to say that Vietnam will, with firm political determination, properly settle the border and territory issues with China through friendly negotiations.

Manh said the Vietnamese side will always abide by the one-China policy and support China's reunification.

After the talks, leaders of the two countries attended a signing ceremony for bilateral cooperative documents covering economy, trade, human resources, health and quarantine, as well as the opening ceremony of a website for bilateral economic and trade cooperation.

Hu arrived here at noon Thursday from central Vietnam's Da Nang City where he started the state visit Wednesday.

Hu is also scheduled to attend the 14th APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting here from Nov. 17 to 19.

Vietnam is the first leg of Hu's four-nation tour, which will also take him to the Laos, India and Pakistan.

Chinese statistics show that Sino-Vietnamese trade volume last year reached over US$8 billion, and the figure in 2006 is expected to exceed US$10 billion.