Chinese and Vietnamese businessmen gathered on Wednesday to seek effective ways of expanding bilateral economic and trade cooperation.

 

About 450 representatives from Chinese and Vietnamese business circles attended the forum on investment and economic cooperation between China and Vietnam in Nanning, capital of China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

 

Addressing the forum, Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung spoke highly of the comprehensive cooperation with China, especially bilateral economic and trade cooperation.

 

He hoped that border regions of Vietnam and China could deepen understanding and exchanges to promote the comprehensive cooperation between the two neighboring countries.

 

According to Guangxi Governor Lu Bing, Vietnam is now Guangxi's largest trading partner. Two-way trade volume between Vietnam and Guangxi amounted to US$937 million, a 31.1 percent jump from the previous year.

 

The forum, organized by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Vietnam, Guangxi and the China Council for the Promotion of Trade, was held on the sidelines of the commemorative summit marking the 15th anniversary of the dialogue partnership between China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), which was held on Monday.

 

(Xinhua News Agency November 2, 2006)