Feature: Chinese, Vietnamese youths encouraged to inherit traditional friendship

When young Chinese and Vietnamese students sang the song "Vietnam-China" to greet visiting Chinese President Xi Jinping, they also sang their blessings to Sino-Vietnamese friendship and future ties.

When meeting with the 400 college students from China and Vietnam, Xi, who is also general secretary of the Communist Party of China, said he hoped young people from the two countries would inherit traditional friendship and make their contribution to the building of China-Vietnam community of common destiny.

"As this year marks the 65th anniversary of the establishment of China-Vietnam diplomatic ties, it is very important and necessary for us to cherish the memory of revolutionary martyrs and look forward to the bright future of our relations," said the Chinese president.

Recalling the profound traditional friendship which was personally fostered and carefully cultivated by the older generation of leaders including Chairman Mao Zedong, Premier Zhou Enlai and President Ho Chi Minh, Xi called on people of the two countries to keep the precious historical memory and retain the vitality of China-Vietnam brotherhood.

Joined by mountains and rivers, China and Vietnam share common dreams, and our destinies are becoming increasingly interdependent, he said.

China will continue to stick to the neighborhood diplomacy featuring amity, sincerity, mutual benefit and inclusiveness, and deepen mutually beneficial cooperation and infrastructure connectivity with neighboring countries, including Vietnam, said Xi.

Nguyen Phu Trong, who is general secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee, also called for more exchanges between youths of the two countries.

He hoped that the youths of the two sides could become an important force in creating a bright future of China-Vietnam relations.

Nong Van Tuan, a Vietnamese student from Hanoi National University of Education, posted the photos of Xi's meeting with the youth representatives on his Facebook.

Tuan has participated in the preparatory work of the 16th Friendship Meeting between youths of China and Vietnam.

He said 200 Chinese youth representatives will visit two Vietnamese universities, namely the FPT Universtity and Vietnam National University, on Friday evening.

The winner of the 2010 Miss Vietnam Dang Ngoc Han, dressed in the Vietnamese national costume Ao Dai, also attended the friendship meeting.

After the event, she said on her Facebook that she felt "very honored to join the activity."

So far this year, China and Vietnam have organized numerous activities for young people, including the "Chinese Bridge" Chinese proficiency competition for foreign college students and speech contests.

In December 2014, Yu Zhengsheng, chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, attended the inauguration of the Confucius Institute at Hanoi University.

In October 2015, a study room on Chinese language and culture was inaugurated at Hung Vuong University in Vietnam's northern Phu Tho province.

When addressing the Vietnamese parliament, Xi said the two sides have agreed to promote people-to-people exchanges by enhancing exchanges and cooperation in culture, education and tourism, so as to create a harmonious atmosphere for bilateral relations.

"We welcome more Vietnamese friends to visit China, to study in China and to do business in China," said Xi, calling for more exchanges between the two peoples.

The number of student exchanges between the two countries has been growing. According to initial statistics, there are currently over 14,000 Vietnamese students studying in China, while some 3,000 to 4,000 Chinese students are sent to Vietnam each year. Endi