Chinese president meets Vietnamese counterpart

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-08-07 20:10

BEIJING - Chinese President Hu Jintao met here on Thursday with Vietnamese President Nguyen Minh Triet, who is here to attend the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympic Games and other activities.

Hu first extended a warm welcome to Triet on behalf of the Chinese government and people.

He also thanked the Communist Party, government and people of Vietnam for their sincere condolences on China's loss of many lives to a devastating earthquake in May.

Hu said China has the confidence to achieve the final victory in quake relief and reconstruction with the help of the international community, including Vietnam.

On the Sino-Vietnamese relations, Hu said that the Chinese Communist Party and government want to work with the Vietnamese Communist Party and government to "well steer the development of the relations" on the basis of a "strategic overview."

The Vietnamese president conveyed the regards from Nong Duc Manh and other leaders of the Communist Party of Vietnam to Hu Jintao and his colleagues.

Vietnam attaches great importance to the development of friendly relations with China, and is ready to work with the Chinese side to actively implement the important consensus reached between leaders of both countries, said Triet.

He stressed that Vietnam wants to show its support to China and to the Beijing Olympic Games through his coming to Beijing and attending the opening ceremony.