Q: President, your official visit to China is drawing much attention from the domestic and international public. Could you tell us what are the aims of the visit and its significance?

A: I will pay an official visit to China from July 18-22 at the invitation of Chinese President Hu Jintao. During the visit, my Chinese counterpart and I will thoroughly discuss Viet Nam - China ties, put forward major measures to reinforce and promote mutual understanding and trust between the two Parties and countries, particularly to boost economic and trade cooperation so it fulfills the two countries' potential and contributes to friendly and multifaceted cooperation between Viet Nam and China under the motto of "friendly neighbours, comprehensive cooperation, long-term stability and looking towards the future".

As you know, this year, Viet Nam and China celebrate the 55th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the two countries. In that context, my visit will not only maintain the annual tradition of high-ranking meetings between the two countries, which help promote mutual trust and ensure the bilateral relations develop firmly and continuously, but will also be an opportunity to affirm that Viet Nam attaches importance to relations with China and that the Vietnamese leaders and people are determined to lift its stable friendship and comprehensive cooperation with China to a new height of development.

I believe the visit will make positive contributions to the development of multifaceted cooperative, reliant and long-lasting ties between the two countries in accordance with the current regional and international situations.

Q: The Vietnamese and Chinese people recently marked the 55th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the two countries. Please give your assessment on the outstanding achievements in Viet Nam - China cooperative ties over the past 55 years, especially the recent past?

A: Fifty-five years ago, China was among the first countries to recognise and set up diplomatic ties with Viet Nam, opening a new chapter in the friendly, traditional and long-standing relations between the two countries.

Although the world has seen many upheavals and the two countries' relationship has gone through numerous ups and downs, realities over the past 55 years have proved that traditional friendship and comprehensive cooperation between the two nations always play a key role, fulfilling the desires and basic interests of the two people.

Over recent years, the relationship between Viet Nam and China has been broadened and strengthened in all fields and dimensions. With the above-said motto and in the spirit of the four goods: namely good neighbours, good friends, good comrades and good partners, Viet Nam - China ties are developing finely, contributing to peace, stability and cooperation for mutual development in the region and the world.

The common conceptions reached by leaders of the two countries during their mutual visits and on the sidelines of international forums have been decisive in setting the direction for the development of bilateral ties in all aspects and promoting and strengthening mutual understanding and mutual trust.

Regarding economic and trade field, the two sides have made encouraging achievements. Leaders of the two countries are determined to lift bilateral economic-trade ties to a new height so they match political ties. Economic-trade relations are seen as a firm foundation to constantly boost and consolidate Viet Nam-China relationship.

China is currently Viet Nam's biggest trade partner, with two-way trade value reaching 7.2 billion USD last year (Viet Nam's statistics), which opened up prospects to fulfill and exceed the target of bringing two-way trade to over 10 billion USD by 2010.

China's investment in Viet Nam continued rising. By May 2005, China had poured 675.6 million USD into 328 projects in Viet Nam, ranking 15th among foreign investors in the country.

The two countries have already signed a land boundary treaty, and the agreements on the delimitation of the Gulf of Tonkin and fisheries cooperation in the Gulf. The treaties and agreements are of great significance, creating a legal framework for building the Viet Nam - China border into a border of peace, friendship and long-lasting stability.

I have found the relationship between Viet Nam and China has developed comprehensively and firmly in the interest of the two people for peace, stability, cooperation and development in the region and the world.

Q: President, what are the prospects for friendly and cooperative ties between Viet Nam and China?

A: As I have mentioned above, over the past time, friendly and comprehensive ties between Viet Nam and China have made progress in all respects, bringing practical benefits to the two sides.

The maintenance of annual high-ranking meetings have promoted mutual understanding and mutual trust, directing the development of comprehensive cooperation between the two nations and people, helping boost bilateral ties, particularly in the economic and trade field.

Being close neighbours who have a long-standing and traditional friendship, fine political relations, and increasing economic and trade ties, who together travel towards socialism and whose economies can help each other and have great potential for development, Viet Nam and China have a huge advantage to boost friendly, traditional ties and comprehensive cooperation in the future to meet desires of the two countries for peace, stability and development in the region and the world.