Vice State President Nguyen Thi Doan has reaffirmed that Vietnam consistently values its traditional friendship and cooperative relations with China.

Vice President Doan made the statement at a reception given to visiting Chairman of the Shanghai Municipal Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) Feng Guoqin in Hanoi on March 18.

Doan emphasised the significance of Feng’s visit at a time when the two countries are organising a number of activities for the Vietnam-China Friendship Year 2010.

She expressed her belief that the visit will help promote the two countries’ friendly and cooperative ties, especially between Shanghai and Vietnamese localities, including HCM City.

The Vice President congratulated Shanghai on its development success, as it has become not only China’s socio-economic and political hub but also a world economic and financial centre, calling it an admirable model to emulate.

Feng shared the same view with his host that the two countries’ fine, friendly and cooperative relations are developing well under the “16-word” motto, through which both sides have pledged to ties of neighbourliness, comprehensive cooperation, long lasting stability and looking towards the future, and the four ‘good spirits’, which embody good relations as neighbours, friends, comrades and partners, as set down by their senior leaders.

Both countries share the same target of building a prosperous nation and a happy people, he stressed, and both are developing, adding that they can engage in exchanges and learn from each others’ experiences.

Also on March 18, President of the Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) Central Committee Huynh Dam received Chairman Feng and took the occasion to highlight the significance of Feng’s visit which will help boost the traditional friendship, solidarity and cooperation between the two Parties, States and peoples and between the VFF and the CPPCC.

He welcomed the organisation of the Shanghai Expo 2010 and applauded the effective results of cooperation between HCM City and Shanghai.

Feng spoke with his host on his city’s socio-economic development and the Expo 2010 to be held in Shanghai in the future.

The visit – a practical activity as part of the China-Vietnam Friendship Year 2010 -- aims to promote Shanghai Expo 2010 which is expected to forge the Chinese city’s all-round cooperation with HCM City and a number of other Vietnamese localities./.