October, 21 2011
Leaders meet during visit to China expo
NANNING — Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc met with Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao while he attended the opening ceremony of the eighth China-ASEAN Expo (CAEXPO) in Nanning City, Guangxi Province yesterday.
Phuc congratulated China for the outstanding achievements the country has attained, which have helped make China into the world's second biggest economy and which have contributed to peace, stability and prosperous growth in the region and the world.
He also spoke highly of the preparations made by the Chinese Government and Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region's authorities to host this year's CAEXPO.
The expo was a good opportunity for ASEAN and China to enhance friendly exchange and to seek further co-operation in economics, trade, investment and tourism. It also helped to strengthen the ASEAN-China strategic partnership, Phuc said.
Wen said he appreciated that Phuc led the Vietnamese Government's delegation to the expo. He also said that Viet Nam, with the highest number of enterprises taking part in the expo, demonstrated its own economic achievements in recent years and had successfully integrated the Vietnamese economy into the region at large.
For many years, China has been Viet Nam's biggest trading partner and the potential for co-operation remained huge, Wen said, adding that the promotion of economic and trade ties between the two would benefit the people of both nations.
The Premier also said the Viet Nam's participation in the expo would create the chance to expand co-operation between Viet Nam and China and between Viet Nam and other regional countries.
The two leaders spoke particularly highly of the recent official visit to China by Vietnamese Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, which had helped boost the comprehensive strategic co-operative partnership between the two parties and countries.
The two sides said they would seriously carry out any agreements and consensus reached by their high-ranking leaders and open up more exchange activities between sectors, ministries and localities.
Phuc and Wen praised the signing of the agreement to resolve the sea conflict. They said it was a crucial step for the two countries to push harder to solve any outstanding disagreements.
The two sides agreed that they would work together on the spirit of comradeship, neighbourly friendship, and shared interest, co-ordinating on the basis of international law and via dialogues and co-operation. They pledged to seek a proper course of action for matters relating to the East Sea, in an aim to preserve peace, stability and co-operation in the region and the world.
On the occasion, Phuc sent regards from Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung to Premier Wen and invited him to visit Viet Nam again.
Wen also sent regards to Dung and other leaders, and said he wished to visit Viet Nam at a proper time.
On the same day, Phuc received Lao Standing Deputy Prime Minister, Politburo member Somsavat Lengsavat, who also attended the fair.
They hailed progress in the recent relations between the two countries, and said they would be active in encouraging Viet Nam-Laos solidarity for the year 2012.
The expo, part of a series of activities held in celebration of the 20th anniversary of the ASEAN-China partnership, is scheduled to take place from October 21-26-2011.
link
