The head of China's top advisory body met Vietnamese officials yesterday and said bilateral ties should be further promoted.

"Further enhancing our friendship accords with the fundamental interests of the two countries, and is conducive to peace and stability in the region and the world," said Jia Qinglin, chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC).

Do Duy Thuong, vice chairman of Presidium of Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) said, "The VFF is ready to make concerted efforts for us to contribute more to each other's economic and social development and further promote relations."

Jia said China and Vietnam, as close neighbors, enjoy a long-term friendship and that relations have made great progress in the past few decades and continue to move forward.

Vietnamese President Tran Duc Luong visited last month and issued a joint communiqué with President Hu Jintao on the development of relations.

Jia expressed his appreciation for Vietnam's adherence to a "one-China" policy and called for the CPPCC and VFF to further expand exchanges.

Wang Zhongyu, CPPCC vice chairman, also met Thuong, whose delegation arrived in Beijing on Sunday at the invitation of the CPPCC.

The VFF is an umbrella group of Vietnamese mass movements.

(Xinhua News Agency August 3, 2005)