Visiting Chinese Premier Li Keqiang on Monday called on his country and Vietnam to deepen practical cooperation and promote bilateral ties to a new high.

China stands ready to maintain high-level strategic communication with Vietnam, Li said in Hanoi at a meeting with General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Nguyen Phu Trong.

The Chinese premier said his country is willing to strengthen exchange of experiences in governing a nation and deepen practical cooperation with Vietnam, adding that the two countries, as neighbors linked by mountains and rivers, have shared cultures and the same political system.

The regional and international situation is undergoing complex and profound changes, Li said, adding that China and Vietnam, both at a critical stage of national development, should promote the bilateral friendship from a strategic and long-term perspective.

Li stressed that the settlement of the South China Sea issue will impact not only the affection between the two peoples, but also the political and security environment for bilateral cooperation.

He noted that in his talks with Vietnamese Premier Nguyen Tan Dung on Sunday, they agreed to properly handle their differences and prevent the South China Sea issue from disrupting the overall cooperation.

Beijing and Hanoi vowed to implement the consensus reached by both sides and aimed for an early progress in such cooperative mechanisms as the maritime work group on joint development at sea, so as to promote bilateral practical cooperation in all fields and benefit the peoples of the two countries and the region at large, Li said.

For his part, Trong said Vietnam and China share extensive common interests and face common opportunities and challenges.

The CPV and the Vietnamese government attach great importance to the relations with China, and are willing to keep close bilateral exchanges, firmly support each other, properly handle disputes, and ensure a healthy and stable development of bilateral ties, he added.

During Li's visit, Trong said the two countries reached consensus on maritime, onshore and financial cooperation, adding that Vietnam is ready to work with China to strengthen comprehensive cooperation and enhance the welfare of the two peoples.

Li arrived in Hanoi on Sunday for an official visit to the Southeast Asian country. Before that, he visited Brunei and Thailand for the first time since taking office in March, and attended a series of meetings with East Asian leaders in Brunei.

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