Chinese President Xi Jinping is due to pay a state visit to Vietnam starting from this Thursday.
According to the Chinese Ambassador to Vietnam Hong Xiaoyong, Xi Jinping is scheduled to meet with Vietnamese leaders and attend a range of activities.
"President Xi will meet with the General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Nguyen Phu Trong and Vietnamese President Truong Tan Sang separately. He will attend a welcome banquet jointly held by the two Vietnamese leaders. The Vietnam side has also proposed a range of activities that involve Vietnamese citizens and youth."
The ambassador notes that as this year also marks the 65th anniversary of diplomatic ties between China and Vietnam, President's Xi's visit will help to further enhance mutual trust.
"We have seen throughout the past year that the two countries, led by their leaders, have been working to handle their differences. China and Vietnam are interdependent and have a relationship of strategic significance. So we must manage our differences, and always think about the big picture to safeguard bilateral ties."
Ambassador Hong says there is also great potential for the two nations to expand trade relations.
China has been Vietnam's largest trade partner for 11 consecutive years.
Vietnam is currently China's second biggest trade partner in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations community.
"We have been linked strategically through China's One Belt, One Road and Vietnam's Two Corridors and One Economic Circle plans, and will work together to boost capacity cooperation. As we implement our consensuses, the structure of China-Vietnam economic cooperation will be further improved and will develop in a more balanced and healthy manner."
President Xi Jinping will spend two days in Vietnam, and then head on to Singapore.
For CRI, I am Niu Honglin.
