China's top legislator meets Vietnamese leader

Top Chinese legislator Zhang Dejiang met with visiting General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Nguyen Phu Trong on Wednesday.

Friendship and cooperation have been the norms of China-Vietnam relations since the two countries forged diplomatic ties in January 1950, said Zhang, chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC), the country's top legislature.

It is in the common interests of the two ruling parties, countries and peoples to deepen solidarity and boost cooperation, which also works in favor of regional peace, stability and prosperity, said Zhang, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee.

On legislative ties, he said the NPC values its cooperation with the National Assembly of Vietnam and would like to make joint efforts to implement the consensus reached by President Xi Jinping and Trong.

On Tuesday, Xi held talks with Trong and witnessed the signing of a string of deals, including a CPC-CPV cooperation plan for the next five years, an extradition treaty, and an agreement on tax on oil and gas concerning China-Vietnam joint exploration in the Pan-Beibu Gulf.

Zhang called for the legislative bodies of the two countries to increase exchanges and share more experience on reform and rule of law.

Trong's visit comes at a time when the two countries are marking the 65th anniversary of China and Vietnam establishing diplomatic relations.

The aim of the visit is to form more solidarity between the two countries, strengthen the strategic partnership and seek common development, Trong said.

After Beijing, Trong will fly to southwest China's Yunnan Province to continue his four-day China visit. Endi