At the meeting, Chinese Consul General to HCM City Zhai Leiming said China and Vietnam have constantly strengthened political, trade and economic relations in the interests of the two countries’ people.

Meanwhile, the President of the Vietnam-China Friendship Association Chapter in HCM City, Duong Quan Ha, reviewed the ties of solidarity between the two countries over the past 62 years and stated that both Vietnam and China treasure the traditional friendship as an invaluable asset of both peoples.

Ha described China as Vietnam’s largest trade partner in the last seven years, saying bilateral trade turnover in the first half of 2011 hit more than US$18 billion, a 41 percent increase against the same period of the previous year.