Pham Quang Nghi, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee (CPVCC), made the remark during a meeting with Jia Qinglin, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee (CPCCC), in Beijing on March 16.

Mr Nghi, who is leading a CPV delegation on a working visit to China from March 15-20 as guests of the CPCCC, spoke highly of the fruitful developments in bilateral relations over the past years.

Mr Jia, also known as Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), said that China attaches importance to developing its friendly and neighbourly ties with Vietnam.

He appreciated the outcome of a visit to China by Party General Secretary Nong Duc Manh in June last year, which, he said, had lifted bilateral ties to the level of comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership.

The Chinese official noted that under the leadership of the two Parties, the Sino-Vietnamese friendly and cooperative relations have developed strongly. He described the two countries’ completion of land border demarcation and marker planting in late 2008 as an historic event in their relationship that has created a new opportunity for development in each country, particularly in border areas, thus contributing to peace, stability and prosperity in the region.

Chinese leaders and people will do their utmost and join efforts with Vietnam to bring bilateral cooperative and reliable ties to new heights, Mr Jia added.

Earlier, Mr Nghi, who is also Secretary of the Hanoi Municipal Party Committee, held talks with Liu Qi, a member of the Political Bureau of the CPCCC and Secretary of the Beijing Municipal Party Committee. He met with Wang Jiarui, a member of the CPCCC and head of the CPCCC’s International Liaison Department. They discussed measures to promote the friendship and cooperation between the two Parties and States, as well as the two capital cities.

During their stay in China, Mr Nghi and other Party officials will work with leaders of Tianjin and Shanghai, and visit a number of local economic and cultural establishments there.