China and Vietnam have an exceptionally good relationship. They
claim to be good neighbors, good friends, good comrades and good
partners.
And the openness with which they discuss this is evidence of
their unusual bilateral relations.
President Hu Jintao left Beijing for Vietnam Wednesday
for a two-day visit, his second tour of the country after one
year.
Frequent visits by high-ranking officials have tied tightly the
bonds of friendship between the two countries. Hu and other Chinese
leaders hosted Vietnamese Communist Party Central Committee General
Secretary Nong Duc Manh in August.
A close relationship between the ruling parties in the two
countries lays a solid foundation for sound bilateral political
relations.
Trade between the two neighbors, however, is not sizeable
enough, compared with the sound political dimension of their
relations.
The issue of trade tops Hu's ongoing Vietnam visit, which is
expected to begin a new chapter in business between the two
countries.
The leaders of the two countries have reached consensus on
increasing trade, which should mount up along with the rising tide
of political ties.
The favorable policies China has offered Vietnamese
businesspeople open the market wider to the neighboring
country.
China values its relations with Vietnam, taking the bilateral
ties as one of its most important diplomatic arrangements.
At the commemorative summit marking the 15th anniversary of the
China-ASEAN dialogue partnership late last month, Premier Wen Jiabao told his Vietnamese counterpart
Nguyen Tan Dung that China is ready to work together with his
country to push the good-neighborly friendship and co-operation to
a new high.
Hu's visit is to that end.
For the Chinese Government, the focus of attention goes to three
issues to promote co-operation.
It is necessary to start the negotiation on an
inter-governmental accord on bilateral economic and trade
co-operation at an early date.
The two countries need to accelerate negotiations on a
memorandum of understanding on the co-operation in the regions
including the Beibu Gulf and two economic zones.
Action to implement the co-operation projects already approved
by the two governments is critical.
During Hu's stay in Vietnam, the two countries will visualize a
future for the bilateral relations.
Their consensus on appropriately settling the border issues left
by history has turned out to be a solid building block to form
healthy ties. During his previous visit to Vietnam, President Hu
made a commitment that the Sino-Vietnamese land border will be
demarcated by 2008.
Closer co-operation between the two countries is happening and
it benefits both sides.
(China Daily November 16, 2006)
