President Vo Van Thuong and General Secretary of the Communist Party of China and President of China Xi Jinping. Photo: VNA

During talks with General Secretary of the Communist Party of China and President of China Xi Jinping in Hanoi on Wednesday, President Thuong said he believes that this visit to Vietnam by Xi Jinping will bring the two countries' relations into a new stage of development, becoming better, more effective and sustainable.

General Secretary and President Xi applauded Vietnam's respect for China-Vietnam relations, saying China always considers Vietnam to have a special position and a priority direction in its neighborhood diplomacy.

The two leaders affirmed the successful results of the talks with many important shared perceptions between General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and General Secretary, President Xi Jinping. The new positioning of Vietnam-China relations and the 6 pillars of cooperation established by the two General Secretaries have clearly shown the direction, opening up a period of good cooperation between the two countries in the new era.

President Vo Van Thuong holds talks with General Secretary of the Communist Party of China and President of China Xi Jinping. Photo: VNA

President Thuong said he hopes that the two sides will increase exchanges and experiences in national construction and development; promote practical cooperation in all fields, especially trade and investment; enhance transport connections; expand cooperation in agriculture, environment, science and technology, and health.

He also proposed that the two sides strengthen people-to-people exchanges, organize cultural exchange activities well, and increase communications about Vietnam-China friendship.

Appreciating the proposal of President Thuong, General Secretary and President Xi affirmed bilateral cooperation in fields with open potential. He called for further strategic connections between the two economies, effectively deploying a plan to connect the Belt and Road Initiative with the Two Corridors, One Belt framework, building a stable regional supply chain, strengthening cooperation in State-owned enterprises, expanding payments in local currency in bilateral trade.

The Chinese top leader affirmed that China is ready to expand imports of goods, especially high-quality agricultural products from Vietnam, and encourage Chinese businesses to increase high-quality investment in Vietnam.

The two leaders also exchanged opinions on maritime issues and agreed to work together to maintain peace and stability at sea; agreed to strengthen cooperation and coordination at multilateral forums, contributing to peace, cooperation and development in the region and the world.

After the talks, the Vietnamese President and his wife held a banquet in honor of Xi Jinping, his wife and the high-ranking Chinese delegation.