?The Vietnam-China Friendship Association held the 5th Delegate Congress in 2012-2017 term in Vietnam's capital Hanoi on Tuesday, drawing the participation of 150 association's delegates.

Addressing the meeting, Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Thien Nhan spoke highly of the achievements the Vietnam-China Friendship Association has gained in recent years.

The Communist Party of Vietnam always attaches importance to the relationship between Vietnam and China. The association plays an important role in promoting the friendship between the two parties and states, Nhan said.

Kong Xuanyou, Chinese Ambassador to Vietnam said that the Vietnam-China Friendship Association is the friendly organizations set up earliest in Vietnam and China was the first country to establish official diplomatic ties with Vietnam. In the process of socialist construction, both nations have focused on promoting friendly exchanges and cooperation in order to implement the consensus reached by the two countries' leaders.

In recent years, China-Vietnam relations have maintained good momentum, Kong said, adding that in the context of world economic downturn, China and Vietnam should continue to strengthen cooperation that benefiting both nations' people.

During the meeting, participants elected 62 members of new executive board for the term 2012-2017.