China, Vietnam to step up high-level contacts

HANOI, Dec. 13 (Xinhua) -- China and Vietnam agree to continue stepping up high-level contacts between the two parties and two countries through such forms as exchange of visits and letters, sending special envoys, hotlines, annual gatherings and meetings on multilateral occasions, according to a joint statement issued by the two countries on Wednesday.

The two sides also agree to conduct timely strategic communication on major issues of bilateral relations and international and regional situations of common concern, and provide strategic guidance for sound and stable development of relations between the two parties and two countries in the new era, said the statement issued during the state visit to Vietnam by Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and Chinese president.?