This is Hu Jintao's third visit to Viet Nam, but his first as CPC General Secretary and Chinese President.

Since the normalisation of bilateral relations in 1991, the friendly and cooperative ties between Viet Nam and China have seen rapid and extensive developments in all fields, bringing about pratical benefits to the people of both countries.

The two countries have signed 49 treaties and 25 State-level agreements, laying the legal foundation for long-term cooperation. They have also established air, sea, land and railway services to facilitate the transport of goods and passengers between the two countries.

During Vietnamese President Tran Duc Luong's visit to China in July this year, Viet Nam and China officially concluded bilateral negotiations on Viet Nam's accession to the World Trade Organisation (WTO). The two sides expressed their determination to resolve outstanding obstacles in order to complete the land border demarcation and the planting of border markers by 2008 at the latest. The two sides also noted that the Tonkin Gulf Demarcation Agreement and the Agreement on Fisheries Cooperation in the Tonkin Gulf are being implemented properly, thus contributing positively to security and order in the Tonkin Gulf.

High-level leaders of the two countries have maintained regular contact through mutual visits and meetings on the sidelines of international events, thus helping to strengthen mutual trust and define the orientation for bilateral relations. In addition, the exchange of delegations between the two countries' ministries, branches and mass organisations at both central and local levels is also increasing, with more than 100 visits each year, improving mutual understanding and expanding cooperation.

Bilateral cooperation in important fields such as foreign relations, national defence and security has also seen new steps forward, with the signing of cooperation agreements between the two foreign ministries (in December 2002), the two ministries of public security (in September 2003) and the two ministries of national defence (in October 2003).

Young people from the two countries have also held regular exchanges with diverse and practical activities. The sixth friendship meeting between Vietnamese and Chinese youths will take place during the upcoming visit by CPC General Secretary and Chinese President Hu Jintao.

Viet Nam and China have also organised regular seminars to exchange experiences in national development, socialist construction and Party building work.

Ties between provinces along the two countries' border have been enhanced. In April this year, Lu Bing, President of the Zhuang Autonomous Region, paid a visit to Viet Nam, during which he held talks with leaders of three northern border provinces of Quang Ninh, Lang Son and Cao Bang, and had working sessions with several Vietnamese ministries and branches to discuss measures to boost cooperation in economics, trade, investment and tourism. Permanent Deputy PM Nguyen Tan Dung attended the 2nd China-ASEAN Exhibition-Fair in Nanning and visited Guangxi province from Oct. 18-23.

The two countries' economic and commercial ties have developed markedly. More than half of the 49 agreements and 25 other State-level documents signed between the two countries are related to economic and commercial cooperation, which create a legal basis for the two countries to boost bilateral trade and investment cooperation. The Viet Nam-China Economic and Trade Committee, which was established in 1994, has positively contributed to promoting trade and investment cooperation between the two sides.

The two countries' trade value has been increasing. China is now Viet Nam's biggest trade partner. Bilateral trade value reached 7.2 billion USD in 2004, a 47.68 percent rise over the previous year or a 190-fold increase over the past 13 years. The figure is expected to exceed 8.2 billion USD this year.

Over past years, Viet Nam-China educational, training, cultural and sports cooperation has been promoted. China has annually received a considerable number of Vietnamese students, apprentices and athletes for study and training courses, and has also sent many officials and trainers to Viet Nam for training in sports activities.

The two sides' exchanges of art troupes, cultural and sports activities have contributed to enhancing friendship between the two peoples.

Vietnamese and Chinese localities have been also effectively promoting cooperation in various forms. They have exchanged survey teams and experiences, signed cooperation documents, and jointly organised seminars and exhibitions, thus contributing to promoting socio-economic development in localities, especially in China's border provinces of Yunnan and Guangxi and Viet Nam's northern border provinces.

The Vietnamese people will do their utmost to make President Hu Jintao's Viet Nam visit successful, thus making the traditional, friendly and cooperative ties between Viet Nam and China more effective.

Viet Nam believes that President Hu Jintao's visit will further increase the two countries' mutual understanding and trust, lifting relations between the two countries and parties to a new height under the motto of "Friendly neighbourliness, comprehensive cooperation, long-lasting stability, and looking toward the future," which was agreed upon by the two countries' leaders./.