Zhou Yongkang (L), member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and the secretary of the CPC Central Political and Legislative Affairs Committee (CPLAC), shakes hands with Nong Duc Manh, general secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee, during their meeting in Hanoi, capital of Vietnam, on Oct. 30, 2008.(Xinhua Photo)

     A senior leader of the Communist Party of China (CPC), Zhou Yongkang, on Wednesday met with General Secretary of Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee Nong Duc Manh.

    Zhou, member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, extended the regards of Hu Jintao, the General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee, to Manh.

Zhou Yongkang (R, Front), member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and the secretary of the CPC Central Political and Legislative Affairs Committee (CPLAC), talks with Nong Duc Manh (1st,L), General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee, during their meeting in Hanoi, capital of Vietnam, on Oct. 30, 2008.(Xinhua Photo)

    China-Vietnam friendship has a vast historic, political and social basis and is deeply rooted in the hearts of the two peoples, Zhou said.

    Zhou recalled Manh's recent trip to China in May. During the visit, Hu and Manh reached broad consensus and agreed on forging the comprehensive strategic partnership of cooperation between thetwo countries.

    "The establishment of such partnership charted a path for the growth of bilateral relations in the new era," Zhou said.

    Currently, the bilateral relations kept a good momentum and both countries have witnessed fruitful cooperation in all fields, which helped flesh out and enrich the comprehensive strategic partnership of cooperation, Zhou said.

    Zhou spoke highly of the remarkable progress Vietnam has achieved in its reform and socialist construction drive.

    "The two parties and nations have common ideals and strategic interests," Zhou said, adding China sincerely hoped Vietnam to have a booming economy and a stable society and Vietnamese people to have good health.

    China would like to work with Vietnam to firmly grasp the orientation of the development of the relations between the two parties and countries, jointly respond to crises and challenges and promote the sound and steady development of bilateral relations in the new era, Zhou said.

    Manh said the year 2008 was an eventful year for China, and the Chinese people, under the CPC's leadership, overcame various difficulties and scored a lot of victories.

    "It fully demonstrates the superiority of the socialist system and the great achievements of China's three-decade reform and opening-up drive," Manh said.

    On bilateral relations, Manh said the establishment of comprehensive strategic partnership of cooperation is an inevitable choice for the two neighboring socialist countries in the new era and a firm belief for the CPV and the Vietnamese people.

    Manh said he hoped the two countries can promote political trust, expand mutually-beneficial cooperation, learn from each other and stand side by side.

    "Let's join hands in cultivating a Vietnam-China good-neighborly friendship and build up the socialism construction causes with our own respective characteristics," he said.

    On Thursday, Zhou left Hanoi for Nha Trang City in the coastal province of Khanh Hoa. He will also visit Ho Chi Minh City in southern Vietnam.