Vietnam wants early opening of direct airline route and shipping routes to China's Yangpu port to cut trade costs.

Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung made the remarks when he was visiting Yangpu in south China's island Province Hainan on Monday afternoon.

Established in 1992, the Yangpu economic development zone is about 40 kilometers north of the provincial capital Haikou.

To attract oversea investors, the zone has special economic policies and flexible governmental measures that don't exist in the rest of China.

"Yangpu might become a propeller of Vietnam and Hainan's economic and trade cooperation," said Nguyen Tan Dung.

Vietnam and Hainan are both close to the Beibu Gulf, but there is no direct airline or shipping route between the two sides. Singapore is the place of exchange for import and export trade between Vietnam and Hainan.

"I hope the Yangpu port will launch the airline route and shipping route to Vietnam's Ho Chi Minh City and Hai Phong City as soon as possible, so as to cut Vietnam's trade costs," Nguyen Tan Dung said.

Hai Phong City is about 100 kilometers from Hanoi, the Vietnamese capital, and serves as the primary seaport for the northern region of the country.

Nguyen Tan Dung added that he chose Hainan as the first leg of his China visit to show Vietnam's willingness to promote economic and trade cooperation.

He arrived at Haikou on Monday morning and will stay for two days..

Nguyen Tan Dung is in China as a guest of Premier Wen Jiabao.

Also on his agenda is the seventh Summit of the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) scheduled for October 24 and 25 in Beijing.

(Xinhua News Agency October 21, 2008)