Roundup: Vietnamese experts, people hail Chinese president's visit

Vietnamese experts and citizens have made positive comments on the two-day state visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping to Vietnam on Thursday and Friday.

Commenting on Xi's signed article, carried by Vietnamese newspaper Nhan Dan, or The People, on Thursday, Nguyen Hoang Anh, dean of faculty of Chinese linguistics and culture at the Hanoi National University said the article summarized the relationship between Vietnam and China in the past 65 years.

"Xi's article clearly showed China's hope of developing friendly relations with Vietnam," Anh told Xinhua, saying Xi's visit to Vietnam is a practical act in promoting mutual trust between the two parties, states and peoples.

Meanwhile, Dinh Hong Tranh, a 28-year-old business assistant in Vietnam's capital Hanoi, expressed his gratitude to the newspaper for translating and providing readers with such a "meaningful article" by the Chinese president.

Xi, who is also the general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, arrived in Vietnam's capital Hanoi on Thursday and attended a formal welcoming ceremony with a 21-gun salute shortly after landing.

Vietnamese media highlighted Xi's two-day visit in a series of reports with positive comments.

The state-run radio Voice of Vietnam (VOV) said that Xi's visit is of great significance as development of bilateral relations are on a positive trend.

"Xi's state visit to Vietnam will mark a milestone in bilateral relations," VOV said in its report on Thursday.

Nguyen Phu Trong, general secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee, paid a visit to China earlier this year, and Vietnamese President Truong Tan Sang also traveled to Beijing in early September for China's V-Day commemorations, recalled Do Tien Sam, chief editor of Chinese Studies Review, a publication of the Institute of Chinese Studies under the Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences.

Noting that the two countries forged diplomatic relations 65 years ago, he told Xinhua that Xi's visit shows leaders of both countries attach paramount importance to bilateral ties.

Peace, stability and development are the genuine expectations of both peoples, he said.

Echoing Sam's words, Bui Hong Phuc, vice president of the Vietnam-China Friendship Association, said the visit will further enhance traditional friendship and comprehensive cooperation between Vietnam and China, and contribute to building a stable and peaceful environment for the development of both Vietnam and China for the sake of the two countries' peoples.

The visit will "boost practical cooperation in areas of economy and trade, implementation of transportation and infrastructure projects, and hi-tech projects," Phuc told Xinhua, adding that it will also help enhance political trust and people-to-people exchanges.

Xi's keynote speech at Vietnam's National Assembly (NA) on Friday was also well-received among media, legislators and citizens of the country.

Duong Trung Quoc, a popular historian who serves as a National Assembly deputy, said he believes "Vietnamese and Chinese leaders are making efforts to solve remaining problems in the bilateral relations on the basis of mutual equality."

However, Quoc said the leaders need to put their words into actions, noting that more efforts are needed.

Nguyen Hoang Minh, a parliamentary office staff who sat on the gallery of the National Assembly during Xi's speech, said he thinks party-to-party relations between the two countries are of great importance, and he was glad Xi made many references to it.

"We are both socialist countries, and we have many similarities," he said.

Local residents also shared their views on Xi's speech at the Vietnamese parliament.

Nguyen Thi Thuy, a 28-year-old accountant in Hanoi said she felt inspired by Xi's words.

"I hope the two sides will work together to further develop the relations, for the benefits of two peoples. Conflicts will do no good to anyone. Cooperation will bring benefits for both sides," she told Xinhua.

Nguyen Ngoc Truong, former Vietnamese ambassador to five countries and now head of a private think-tank in Vietnam, said Xi's visit will inject new impetus into bilateral ties.

The "Belt and Road" initiative and Vietnam's development strategy of "Two Corridors and One Economic Circle" plan had been pushed forward separately by the two sides in the past, he said, adding "The alignment of the two will surely bring good outcomes, such as promoting cooperation in border areas and boosting infrastructure development in Vietnam, among others."

Meanwhile, he said lifting Vietnam-China bilateral ties to a new height will help boost stability and peace in the region.

Tran Cong Truc, the former head of the Vietnamese government's border committee, told Xinhua that over the past 65 years, there have been ups and downs in the bilateral ties.

"Xi's visit will provide a chance for the two sides to remain patient to talk, listen and solve the remaining problems, which is in line with two peoples' wishes and desires," he said. Endit