Chinese Premier Li Keqiang met with Vietnamese and Chinese students in Hanoi on October 15 on the occasion of his official visit to Vietnam from October 13-15.

The exchange themed “Inheriting traditional friendship, opening a bright future” took place at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities (USSH) under the Vietnam National University, Hanoi.

Addressing the event, Chairman of the Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) Central Committee and Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Thien Nhan described the Vietnam–China traditional friendly neighbourliness founded and fostered by President Ho Chi Minh and President Mao Zedong as an invaluable asset shared by the two peoples.

The Party and State leaders vowed to develop bilateral ties under the motto “friendly neighbourliness, comprehensive cooperation, long-term stability and looking towards the future” and in the spirit of “good neighbours, good friends, good comrades and good partners”, he said.

Over the past time, the relations between the two Parties, States and peoples have come a long way, he said, adding that the Vietnamese Party, State and people will never forget the valuable assistance offered by their Chinese counterparts during the past national liberation and the current national development.

He noted that Vietnam pursues a long-term and consistent guideline of consolidating the friendly neighbourliness and the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership with China – which is also the top priority in Vietnam ’s foreign policy.

For his part, Premier Li said his visit aims to bolster the long-term and stable relationship with Vietnam. Both sides exchanged orientations and ideas to deepen cooperation in various domains, particularly economics and trade, and discussed international and regional issues of mutual concern.

He said the Vietnamese and Chinese students inherit both nations’ friendship while contributing to developing the friendly neighbourliness and the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership between the two nations.

Stressing concrete ways to link the two peoples together, Premier Li said people-to-people exchange remains a basic step.

He took the occasion to present some books to the USSH.
 
Over the past time, the USSH has expanded partnerships with top Chinese universities like the University of Beijing , the University of Shanghai and others in Guangdong , Guangxi and Yunnan.

Currently, over 13,000 Vietnamese students and postgraduates are studying at 100 universities in 20 Chinese provinces. Nearly 3,000 Chinese students are also pursuing studies in Vietnam.

The same day, Premier Li attended a business exchange co-hosted by the Ministry of Planning and Investment and the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade.

Earlier on October 14, the Chinese leader met with President of the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organisations Vu Xuan Hong and top officials of the Vietnam-China Friendship Association (VCFA).

During the meeting, Li expressed his deep condolences to the Vietnamese people and family of General Vo Nguyen Giap – an eminent political and military leader and a close friend of the Chinese people - who passed away on October 4.

He noted with pleasure the extensive people-to-people exchange over the past time, saying that it is an important foundation for the two sides to deepen all-sided cooperation in the coming time.

Hong said the VUFO and VCFA will keep expanding exchanges with the Chinese people as set under the 2013-2017 cooperation plan between the VUFO and the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, and ensure that the construction of the Vietnam–China Friendship Palace will finish as scheduled.-VNA