Chinese President Xi Jinping spoke on phone with Vietnamese President Nguyen Phu Trong on Thursday, and the two leaders agreed to make joint efforts to cement bilateral relations.

During the phone conversation, the two leaders exchanged greetings on the coming Lunar New Year.

As the year 2020 marks the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between the two countries, Xi said he is ready to strengthen strategic communication with his Vietnamese counterpart and jointly draw a blueprint to guide the development of China-Vietnam relations in the new era.

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China's President Xi calls for closer cooperation with Vietnam

Xi: China, Vietnam are community of shared future with strategic significance

China and Vietnam are good neighbors, good friends, good comrades and good partners, said the Chinese president, adding that the positive development of bilateral relations has injected new impetus into the socialist cause of the two countries and made positive contributions to the peaceful development of the world and the region.

We should constantly consolidate political mutual trust between China and Vietnam, carry forward the traditional friendship between the two sides and lay a solid foundation of bilateral relations, Xi told Trong.

He added that the two sides should adopt a forward-looking vision that takes the overall situation into consideration to properly handle and resolve differences.

Xi also said the two sides should seize the opportunity to enhance the level of exchange and cooperation and promote the building of the Belt and Road Initiative so that the people of both countries can have more of a sense of happiness and gain.

For his part, Trong extended his congratulations to China over its remarkable progress over the past 70 years, and expressed appreciation for China's long-term support for Vietnam in its fight for national liberation and socialism.

Facing a new environment, Vietnam is willing to strengthen political mutual trust and exchanges of experience on governance with China, Trong said, calling for more efforts to expand practical cooperation, facilitate personnel exchanges, and enhance communication and coordination in international and multilateral forums so as to achieve further progress in bilateral ties.