President Jiang Zemin's visit to Vietnam is a major event between the two neighbors, which will promote the development of their relations and all-round cooperation and boost common prosperity for both sides, the leading Chinese newspaper said Friday.
The visit will also have a positive and far-reaching impact on peace, stability and development in the region and the whole world, the People's Daily said in an editorial.
"We extended warm congratulations on the successful visit," it added.
The trip was aimed at enhancing mutual trust, expanding common ground and boosting the friendly ties and all-round cooperation between the two countries, the article noted.
During his visit, Jiang, also general-secretary of the Chinese Communist Party, held in-depth discussions with General-Secretary of the Vietnamese Communist Party Nong Duc Manh and Vietnamese President Tran Duc Luong on the traditional friendship between China and Vietnam and international and regional issues of common concern.
The talks deepened mutual understanding and trust, achieved consensus on a wide range of issues, expanded fields of cooperation and laid a solid foundation for the friendly cooperation and common development for China and Vietnam, the editorial read.
China-Vietnam friendship has blossomed since the normalization of their relations in 1991, particularly after the two sides set forth in 1999 the principle of long-term stability, future orientation, good-neighborliness and all-round cooperation to guide the development of their ties.
China and Vietnam signed a land border treaty, an agreement on the border demarcation in the Beibu Gulf, and an accord on cooperation in fisheries.
During his stay in Vietnam, the editorial said, Jiang reiterated that to sustain the development of China-Vietnam relations in the new century, the principle both sides agreed upon in 1999 must be adhered to.
To better implement the principle, Jiang presented new proposals for the expansion of China-Vietnam relations in the 21st century.
The proposals underscore the importance of carrying on the good tradition of maintaining contact and exchanges between the two parties and the two countries at the top level, expanding bilateral economic and trade ties, educating the two peoples about the spirit of a long-lasting friendship, enhancing bilateral cooperation on the boundary issue, and furthering the exchange of experience in building the party and running the country, the article explained.
The consensus achieved during the talks between Jiang and Vietnamese leaders charted the course of a better future for China-Vietnam relations, it emphasized.
With a view to boosting exchanges between the youths of the two countries, Jiang gave a speech at Hanoi National University, elaborating China's firm policies on developing relations between the two countries.
Jiang stressed that a more brilliant future for China-Vietnam relations depend on the common efforts by their youths.
Jiang also expressed his hope that the youths of the two countries enhance exchanges, learn from each other, increase mutual understanding, shoulder the responsibility of developing bilateral relations, and promote the cause of world peace and development.
"We're deeply convinced that through joint efforts the relations between the two parties and the two nations are bound for a promising future," the editorial concluded.
(People's Daily March 2, 2002)
