Vietnam and China should strengthen comprehensive cooperation, especially in Party building and ideological work, said State President Nguyen Minh Triet while receiving the Secretary of Yunnan province’s Party Committee Bai En Pei in Hanoi on Nov. 25.

At the reception, President Triet said the Vietnamese Party, State, and people wished to develop the long-lasting friendship and comprehensive strategic partnership with China .

Both nations should timely and quickly solve arising problems and strongly fight the distorting and inciting arguments of hostile forces as well as jointly maintain a peaceful, friendly and stable borderline, he said.

The two sides should boost cooperation in economics, trade, culture and tourism and effectively implement signed programmes and projects, he added.

President Triet also expressed his delight at fine developments in the Vietnam-China comprehensive cooperative strategic partnership, as well as the cooperation between the two countries’ localities, including Yunnan province.

He also spoke highly of Yunnan province’s efforts in strengthening cooperation with northern Vietnamese provinces and expanding ties with the central province of Khanh Hoa and Ho Chi Minh City in the south.

He suggested Yunnan province step up investment and strengthen cultural exchanges and people-to-people diplomacy activities with Vietnam .

For his part, the Yunnan Party leader said he was impressed at Vietnam ’s rapid development, as well as the fine relations between the two countries at national and local levels.

He affirmed Yunnan ’s commitment to joining Vietnam ’s efforts to raise two-way trade to 2 billion USD by 2015.

Bai stated that Yunnan province would do its best, together with its neighbouring Vietnamese localities, to build a peaceful, friendly and stable borderline.

On the same day, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Gia Khiem received and held a banquet for the Yunnan Party Committee Secretary and his entourage.

At the reception, Khiem affirmed that the Vietnamese government attaches importance to its comprehensive cooperative strategic partnership with China . While appreciating the effective cooperation between Vietnamese localities and Yunnan in the past, he said that the potential for cooperation between the two sides remain large.

The Deputy PM urged Vietnamese localities and Yunnan province to promote existing cooperation mechanisms between the two sides and further strengthen cooperation in such areas as tourism, agriculture, education and training.

He suggested Yunnan create receptive conditions for Vietnam ’s export staples, including seafood and fruits.

Secretary Bai affirmed that Yunnan always treasured relations with Vietnamese localities and said his visit aimed to foster the friendship and cooperation between Yunnan and Vietnam , especially in politics, business, trade, investment, tourism and agriculture.

Also on Nov. 25, the Union of Yunnan Businesses - Chinese Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam , officially opened in Hanoi./.