(VOV) - Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has attended the China-ASEAN Expo (CAEXPO) and the ninth ASEAN-China Business and Investment Summit (CABIS) in Nanning, China.

Present at the opening ceremony on September 21 were Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping, heads of State and senior leaders from 10 ASEAN member countries along with representatives from international organizations and businesses.

In his speech, the Chairman of Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, Ma Biao, said the China-ASEAN Expo, as the result of co-ordinated efforts by China and ASEAN member countries, aims to strengthen the China-ASEAN strategic partnership.

It provides important mechanism for the two sides to increase practical cooperation for mutual benefit, develop a free trade area and enhance regional connectivity.

On behalf of ASEAN leaders, Myanmar President Thein Sein said CAEXPO is of great importance to strengthening the ties of friendship and trade exchange.

Located in the Asia-Pacific region- a centre for international trade exchange- ASEAN and China need to fully exploit their advantages for the sake of peace and development in the region, Mr Thein Sein said.

PM Nguyen Tan Dung cuts the ribbon to inaugurate Vietnamese stall area at CAEXPO

While in Guangxi, PM Dung met with his Lao counterpart Thongsing Thammavong and Myanmar President Thein Sein, and visited the Vietnam-China friendship project launched in 2010.

The wall collects more than 5,600 handprints of Vietnamese and Chinese leaders and young people as a symbol of friendship between the two countries.

Receiving the Lao PM, Mr Dung said he is very pleased to see the steady growth of the special relationship between Vietnam and Laos in various fields, particularly their close coordination in organizing important activities during the Vietnam-Laos Friendship Year 2012.

PM said he hopes the two governments will effectively implement the cooperation agreements reached by senior leaders, especially in economics, trade and investment to bring two-way trade turnover to a higher level in the near future.

For his part, Lao PM Thammavong said the Party, State and Government of Laos will do their utmost to foster the Laos-Vietnam special relationship and boost investment and trade cooperation through official visits at all levels and cross-cultural exchanges at all levels.

At the meeting with Myanmar President Thein Sein, PM Dung congratulated Myanmar on its recent achievements in the process of national reconciliation, national development and international integration.

The two leaders agreed that Vietnam and Myanmar should boost cooperation in economics, trade and investment with a focus on 12 priority areas as mentioned in the 2010 joint declaration between the two countries. Both expressed strong determination to bring bilateral relations to a higher level in the near future.

The two leaders also committed to actively contributing to the building of a strong and united ASEAN community by 2015.

The same day, PM Dung and his delegation left Guangxi for Vietnam.

Mr Dung’s participation in CAEXPO and CABIS showed Vietnam’s keen interest in promoting friendly neighbourliness and comprehensive cooperation with China and encouraging its businesses to seek investment opportunities in China and expand economic, trade and investment cooperation with Chinese border provinces.

Multifaceted cooperation between Vietnam and China has continued to grow and flourish in recent years, with two-way trade turnover reaching US$22.86 billion in the past seven months of this year, 20 percent higher than in the same period last year.

By the end of July, China ranked 14 among 96 countries and territories investing in Vietnam, having 857 projects with a total registered capitalization of US$4.5 billion.