A Symposium on regional cooperation and development in the 21st century was held on January 8 in Nanning, capital of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region in south China, to mark the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and Vietnam.

The Symposium was attended by more than 100 scholars and experts from China, Vietnam, the United States and Japan.

Since China and Vietnam normalized relations in 1991, economic cooperation and cultural exchange have developed rapidly.

Trade volume between the two countries rose from 30 million US dollars in 1991 to 1.25 billion dollars in 1998. Investment from China's inland areas in Vietnam has reached 114 million dollars. The two governments have so far signed 30 treaties and agreements on expanding bilateral cooperation.