Vietnam, China boost military ties The armies of Vietnam and China have agreed to strengthen activities to boost the friendship between the Vietnam People's Army (VPA) and the People's Liberation Army of China (PLA) in the coming years. They reached the consensus during talks in Beijing between a high-level military delegation from the VPA led by Deputy Minister of National Defence and VPA's Chief of General Staff Lieutenant General Le Van Dung and a high-level delegation from the PLA headed by Chief of General Staff Senior Lieutenant General Fu Quanyou. The talks took place during an official visit to China from October 22-29 by the Vietnamese delegation as guests of Senior Lieutenant General Fu Quanyou. The two sides informed each other of the politico-economic and socio-cultural situation in their respective countries and discussed issues of common concern. They were glad to see that Vietnam's renovation process and China's open-door reforms have led the way to great achievements in recent years, and that the friendship and co-operation between the two countries' peoples and armies have also been consolidated and developed. The Vietnamese delegation was received by Politburo member of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and Deputy Director of the CPC Central Military Commission Senior Lieutenant General Zhang Wannian. Mr Zhang welcomed the Vietnamese delegation's visit, which, he hoped, would contribute to strengthening the solidarity and friendship between the two armies and peoples, and to maintaining peace and stability in the region and the world. While in Beijing, the Vietnamese delegation paid floral tributes to fallen combatants at their memorial and to President Mao Zedong, the great leader of the Chinese people and a close friend of the Vietnamese people. The delegation toured a number of LPA units, historical, cultural and economic establishments in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen. The Vietnamese guests also visited historic relics on Wen Ming road in Guangzhou city where President Ho Chi Minh founded and trained revolutionary Vietnamese people in the Revolutionary Youth Association, the predecessor of the Communist Party of Vietnam. (VNA)
