Le Kha-phieu, general-secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam, said on Wednesday that Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji's coming visit to Vietnam will boost brotherly and neighborly relations between Vietnam and China.

In an interview with a Chinese press delegation in Hanoi, Le Kha-phieu said Sino-Vietnamese relations have been improving steadily since their normalization in 1991. Leaders of both countries pay mutual visits every year and various groups also exchange frequent visits.

The general secretary said that both countries wish to make their cooperative ties more effective. "During Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji's visit, we will discuss such economic issues as establishing joint ventures between the two countries," he added.

"Vietnam and China should not only strengthen bilateral ties, but more importantly further enhance mutual trust," He said.

Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji will visit Vietnam on December 1-4. (Xinhua)