Hu spoke highly of the Vietnamese people's achievements under the CPV's leadership and said he hoped that the Vietnamese people will build the country into a modern socialist industrialized one at an early date.

Nong said Hu's visit demonstrates the great attention China has paid to bilateral friendship and cooperation, and its support for Vietnam as the host of the APEC (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation) Economic Leaders' Meeting.

Hu voiced his satisfaction with the development of bilateral relations and cooperation, and Nong expressed the Vietnamese side's pleasure at the extensive and in-depth mutual development in such fields as politics, economy, trade, culture, education, youth exchanges as well as science and technology.

Hu stressed that the Chinese side places great importance in bilateral relations and proposed a four-point proposal for the further development of bilateral relations.

The first is to safeguard the general situation of Sino-Vietnamese friendship by strengthening high-level contacts and increasing mutual political trust.

The second is to stick to equality and reciprocity in common development and prosperity by expanding economic and trade cooperation, pushing forward important projects, strengthening multi-lateral economic alliances such as within the World Trade Organization and the building of the China-ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) free trade area.

The third is to comprehensively promote bilateral cooperation by giving full play to the cooperation mechanisms between diplomatic, defense, public security departments of the two countries, and expanding exchanges and cooperation in culture, education, science, technology, health, human resources, youth and sports.

The fourth is to safeguard common interests and strengthen coordination and cooperation in multi-lateral fields such as international and regional affairs. The Chinese side supports Vietnam to take a bigger role in international and regional affairs.

Hu noted that both sides should take into consideration of the general situation of bilateral relations, speed up their demarcation work, strengthen substantial cooperation in the Beibu Gulf, and promote common development in the South China Sea.