On June 14, 2003, General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee, Nong Duc Manh, met with visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing in a friendly manner in Hanoi. On the same day, Vietnamese State President Tran Duc Luong, Prime Minister Phan Van Khai, and Deputy Prime Minister Vu Khoan also met Li separately.

Li said that the 16th National Congress of the Communist Party of China has set a strategic target of building a prosperous society and China’s diplomacy, in the new period, will fulfill the target in order to safeguard world peace and to boost common development with the focus on peace and cooperation.

Li said that China and Vietnam have a traditional friendship that dates back to long time ago. The two countries share common ideas and broad interests. With the care and efforts of the two parties and leaders of the two countries, China-Vietnam relations have displayed the good momentum of rapid development. The new leadership of China will, as always, attach importance to China-Vietnam good-neighborly, friendly and cooperative relationship. The two states and the two peoples will always be good neighbors, good friends and good partners.

Nong Duc Manh and other Vietnamese leaders said that in recent years, Vietnam-China relations have reached new heights on the basis of mutual trust. In the complicated international situation, it is of practical significance for Vietnam and China to strengthen unity and cooperation. The government and people of Vietnam will continue to further strengthen the friendly relationship and the multi-faceted cooperation between the two countries.

The Vietnamese leaders praised China for its achievements in the reform and opening up, and highly appreciated the active role of China in the international arena. They also hoped the two countries would further enhance the exchange of views and cooperation in regional and international issues.

Li congratulated Vietnam on its new progress in reform and opening up. He said that we sincerely hope Vietnam will achieve prosperity and development and would like to make our due efforts to that end. China wishes Vietnam early accession to the WTO.

The two sides also exchanged views on some practical issues in bilateral relations and reached consensus.