Li Peng, chairman of the Standing Committee of China's National People's Congress, met Tuesday afternoon with Pham The Duyet, chairman of the Presidium of the Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) Central Committee.
Li recalled his previous meetings with Pham in 1993 and 1999 during Pham's visits to China, and praised Pham and the VFF for their efforts towards bilateral friendship.
Li noted that since the two countries normalized their relations 10 years ago, bilateral traditional friendship and cooperation have rapidly resumed and developed, and relations between the two parties and the two countries have been furthered under the guidance of the principles mapped out by the leaders of the two parties.
Exchange visits between the leaders of the two countries have pushed forward bilateral exchanges and cooperation in various fields, added Li.
With joint efforts, the two countries have solved issues like land boundaries and demarcation of the Beibu Bay, thus laying a firm foundation for bilateral harmonious co-existence and common development, noted Li.
He went on to say that both parties have cooperated in regional and international affairs, and he is satisfied with the development of relations between the two parties and the two countries.
On the Vietnamese Communist Party leader Nong Duc Manh's recent visit to China, Li said the successful visit has made important contributions to furthering the long-term and stable good-neighborly bilateral friendship and all-round cooperation.
Noting that China and Vietnam have similar conditions, Li pointed out that they have broad cooperative prospects, and it is the firm strategic guideline of the Chinese Communist Party and the Chinese government to further the good-neighborly friendship and overall cooperation with Vietnam.
Pham said that bilateral relations have been resumed and developed in recent years, and they have solved the issues of land boundaries and demarcation of the Beibu Gulf and have signed a treaty on fisheries cooperation, hoping to further the bilateral exchanges and cooperation at various level and in different fields so as to benefit the two peoples.
The VFF will continue to make contributions to the development of bilateral friendship from generation to generation, added Pham.
(People's Daily December 19, 2001)
