Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao proposed new measures for boosting relations between China and Vietnam at a meeting in Beijing Friday with Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung.

Wen said the two countries should deepen mutual political trust and accelerate follow-up negotiations of their fishery agreement and the process of land border demarcation to push forward the continuous, sound and steady development of relations.

He went on to suggest that the two countries expand cooperation, spare no effort to realize agreed projects, further open their markets to each other, and promote two-way investment so as to bring about greater economic cooperation.

Wen also reviewed the sound development of Sino-Vietnamese relations and the rapid growth of economic and trade cooperation, citing the 60 percent year-on-year increase in bilateral trade in the first eight months of this year.

He said the Chinese Communist Party and government placed great importance on the development of relations with Vietnam, believing that friendship and cooperation were in the interests of both countries and their peoples and conducive to safeguarding regional stability and development.

Nguyen said Vietnam valued unity and cooperation with China and would push forward bilateral relations.

He said his visit to China was successful and the consensus on politics, economy and trade would boost relations.

(Xinhua News Agency October 18, 2003)