Premier Zhu Rongji told visiting Vietnamese Foreign Minister Nguyen Dy Nien that Sino-Vietnamese relations have been progressing steadily thanks to efforts made by both countries in recent years.

Zhu appreciated Nien's selection of China as the destination of his first overseas trip after assuming the post of foreign minister, which itself shows the importance the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) and the Vietnamese government attach to Sino-Vietnam ties.

Zhu gave a positive appraisal of the growth momentum of bilateral ties over recent years, noting that both countries have had regular high-level visits, kept improving economic cooperation and gradually resolved problems between the two countries that have left over from history.

In particular, he added, China and Vietnam officially signed an agreement on land borders at the end of last year, and bilateral relations are advancing steadily along the direction as defined by Jiang Zemin, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC), and Le Kha Phieu, CPV general secretary.

Zhu expressed the conviction that the two countries would certainly fulfill the task of demarcating the Beibu Gulf within the year as long as that both sides work hard in the spirit of mutual understanding and accommodation.

Zhu also spoke on the issue of bilateral economic and trade cooperation, stressing that China will continue to make active efforts for the promotion of mutually-beneficial cooperation.

Nien expressed his thanks to Zhu's meeting and held that bilateral ties are developing both "in-depth and width." The CPV and Vietnamese government, and he himself will spare no effort to promote the good neighborliness and all-round bilateral cooperative relations, Nien noted.

Moreover, Zhu asked Nien to convey his cordial regards to CPV General Secretary Le Kha Phieu, President Tran Duc Luong and Prime Minister Phan Van Khai.

Nien arrived in Beijing Thursday night for a four-day official visit at the invitation of his Chinese counterpart Tang Jiaxuan.