On the afternoon of May 21, 2004, Chinese President Hu Jintao met in the Great Hall of the People with Vietnamese Prime Minister Phan Van Khai.

Hu Jintao said China and Vietnam are friendly neighbors and the two peoples have been enjoying traditional friendship. In recent years, the exchanges and cooperation between the two countries in various fields have been boosted continuously with joint efforts. Hu Jintao noted that as two socialist countries, China and Vietnam should further enhance and develop comprehensive friendship and cooperation under the complex and changeable international situation, which will be conducive to the two countries' reform and opening up as well as national development and conform to the fundamental interests of the two countries and peoples. The Party, the government and the people of China greatly cherish China-Vietnam traditional friendship and would like to expand exchanges, enhance mutual trust, conduct sincere cooperation, achieve common development together with Vietnam in light of the guideline of "long-term stability, future orientation, good neighborliness and comprehensive cooperation" and make unremitting efforts for the development of China-Vietnam good neighborly relations of comprehensive cooperation in the new century.

Phan Van Khai indicated that with broad exchanges and cooperation at all levels, Vietnam-China relations have witnessed further development in recent years. The Party and government of Vietnam will firmly uphold the guideline to strengthen comprehensive friendship with China, for the relationship has brought visible benefits for the two peoples and is also compliant with the supreme interests of Vietnam. The Vietnamese side believed Vietnam-China traditional friendship carefully fostered by the older generations of leadership will definitely be enriched and carried forward in the new century.

Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing and some other officials attended the meeting.