A meeting to mark the 63rd anniversary of China’s National Day (Oct. 1) was held in Ho Chi Minh City on Sept. 26.

The event was jointly organised by the Ho Chi Minh City Chapter of the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organisations (VUFO) and the Vietnam-China Friendship Organisation.

Addressing the ceremony, Duong Quan Ha, Chairman of the HCM City Chapter of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee and Vietnam-China Friendship Organisation, congratulated the Chinese community inthe city on the special event.

He said Vietnam, China are the two friendly neighbouring countries and the two people have long-lasting traditional relations.

The exchange of visits by the two countries’ leaders and discussions on matters of mutual concerns have helped consolidate and strengthen bilateral relations, he added.

The two countries’ economic and trade ties have increasingly developed. Two-way trade reached 40 billion USD in 2011, and 22.2 billion USD in the first half of 2012, up 23 percent over the same period last year.

Chinese Consul General in HCM City Zhuo Lei Ming said he believes that the Vietnam-China relations will overcome all difficulties for a better future.-VNA