President Hu Jintao met Tuesday visiting Vietnamese top legislator Nguyen Phu Trong, and they pledged to enhance bilateral ties.

 

Nguyen, chairman of the National Assembly of Vietnam, is paying an official good-will visit to China from April 8 to 15.

 

During the meeting Hu spoke highly of the traditional friendship between China and Vietnam, and said the two countries should earnestly implement cooperative deals signed between them and to cooperate on big projects to ensure rapid trade growth.

 

The total trade volume between Vietnam and China hit almost US410 billion in 2006, up 21.4 percent from the previous year.

 

"China is ready to work with Vietnam to appropriately deal with the issue of land and maritime borders to jointly maintain peace in the border area," said Hu.

 

The Chinese president also said the two countries should further coordinate on international and regional affairs to benefit the people of the two countries and all Asians.

 

The parliaments of the two countries should promote exchanges and learn from each other on promoting democracy and the rule of law, said Hu.

 

Nguyen said Vietnam attaches great importance to traditional friendship with China and will make joint efforts with China to lift bilateral ties to a new height.

 

Nguyen is making his first China tour since taking office last year.

 

China's top legislator Wu Bangguo and top political advisor Jia Qinglin met with Nguyen separately on Monday.

 

(Xinhua News Agency April 11, 2007)