HANOI, Oct. 27 -- Vietnamese President Truong Tan Sang and General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Nguyen Phu Trong met with visiting Chinese State Councilor Yang Jiechi here Monday.

Yang said China-Vietnam relationship is at a crucial stage of improvement and development. China is deepening comprehensive reform and building a country ruled by law, while Vietnam is promoting reform and opening-up.

Maintaining a good relationship between China and Vietnam is the practical needs of both countries for realizing their own development goals, and is in the common interests of the two countries, he said.

The two sides should firmly adhere to the right direction in bilateral relations, sticking to good-neighborliness and friendship while promoting mutually beneficial cooperation, Yang said.

He called on both sides to strengthen high-level exchanges and at the same time actively carry out non-governmental exchanges in various forms, thus increasing mutual understanding between the two peoples and strengthening bilateral ties.

Both sides should implement relevant agreements and consensus reached by the two countries, handle differences in maritime issues through bilateral negotiations, control and manage conflicts, safeguard stability, promote cooperation, and prevent bilateral relations from being interfered by maritime issues, he said.

Nguyen Phu Trong said developing Vietnam-China comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership is a long-term and basic strategic principle of the Vietnamese party and government.

Relations with China is a top priority in Vietnam's diplomacy, Trong said, adding that Vietnam is willing to work with China in maintaining exchange of high-level visits, sharing governance experience, promoting the role of the China-Vietnam Steering Committee on Cooperation, boosting practical cooperation, and strengthening cultural exchanges among young people and different regions.

The two sides should properly handle maritime issues based on existing agreements and consensus in order to safeguard stability of bilateral relations, Trong said.

Truong Tan Sang, for his part, said Vietnam has always attached great importance to Vietnam-China relations. Good Vietnam-China relations would benefit both countries, Sang said, adding that the two sides should continue to enhance mutual trust and promote cooperation, thus bringing the Vietnam-China relations to a new level.