China pledges to promote cooperation with Vietnam

China is willing to work with Vietnam to push bilateral cooperation to achieve more outcomes, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said here Wednesday.

Li made the remarks while meeting with his Vietnamese counterpart, Nguyen Xuan Phuc, on Wednesday on the sidelines of the second Lancang-Mekong Cooperation (LMC) leaders' meeting held in the Cambodian capital of Phnom Penh.

The meeting drew leaders from six riparian countries -- Cambodia, China, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam.

China-Vietnam comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership is steadily advancing, Li said.

He said Chinese President Xi Jinping's successful visit to Vietnam in November last year opened a new chapter in the bilateral relations.

China is willing to meet Vietnam halfway, hold the general direction for the steady development of the bilateral ties, maintain high-level exchanges in order to push bilateral cooperation in all areas to score more pragmatic outcomes and promote the two countries' development, he added.

The Chinese premier said China will work with Vietnam to enhance cooperation within the LMC framework and jointly safeguard regional peace, stability and development.

For his part, Nguyen Xuan Phuc said the top leaders of the two countries and two ruling parties had a successful exchange of visit last year and reached important consensus on cooperation.

Vietnam values the friendly cooperation with China and is willing to keep high-level exchanges and enhance cooperation in such areas as economy and trade in order to further develop the bilateral ties.

(ASIA PACIFIC DAILY)