While receiving Secretary of China’s Guangdong provincial Party Committee Wang Yang in Hanoi on September 8, Mr Manh said that the late President Ho Chi Minh had spent many years participating in revolutionary activities in Guangdong, which curently has strong ties with Vietnam.

He expressed his hope that the Chinese province will continue to promote multi-faceted cooperation with Vietnamese localities, particularly in investment and trade.

The two sides should share experience, educate young people about the traditional friendship and organise cultural exchanges in order to increase mutual understanding, said Mr Manh.

For his part, Secretary Wang highly valued the great achievements the Vietnamese people have made during the Doi Moi (Renewal) process initiated and led by the Communist Party of Vietnam. He expressed his desire to further strengthen relations between Guangdong and Vietnamese provinces and cities, particularly in investment, trade, training, services and tourism.

The same day, the Chinese official was received by Deputy Prime Minister Pham Gia Khiem, who said that the Vietnamese Government has created favourable conditions for Guangdong businesses to boost investment and cooperation with Vietnam. He said the Vietnamese Government is willing to support its provinces and cities to expand cooperation with Guangdong in different sectors.

The two sides should organise regular trade and investment promotion programmes to help their businesses to exchange and seek investment opportunities, said Mr Khiem.

Meanwhile, Secretary Wang Yang praised Vietnam’s measures to stabilise the macro economy and control inflation. He affirmed that the Party and people of Guangdong province want to boost the friendship and multi-faceted cooperation with Vietnam.

The two leaders agreed that Guangdong province and Vietnamese localities have huge potential for development, especially in economics, trade and investment.

Secretary Wang began a six-day visit to Vietnam on September 6 at the invitation of Deputy Prime Minister Pham Gia Khiem. He worked with various Vietnamese ministries and Hanoi authorities to strengthen bilateral cooperation in trade, industry, transport and tourism.

He flew to Ho Chi Minh City on September 9 where he is expected to sign a memorandum of understanding on cooperation between his province and HCM City.