On October 7, 2004, Premier Wen Jiabao of the State Council of China met with General Secretary Nong Duc Manh of the Communist Party of Vietnam in Hanoi.

Wen Jiabao conveyed the greetings from General Secretary Hu Jintao to Nong Duc Manh. He said, "This morning, I held talks with Prime Minister Phan Van Khai in a friendly, candid and cooperative atmosphere and reached consensus with him on a lot of significant issues". Both sides held that developing China-Vietnam good-neighborly and friendly relations is in the fundamental interest of the two peoples.

Wen stressed that the Chinese Communist Party and government have always attached great importance to relations with Vietnam and have all along taken it as the top priority of China's diplomacy towards neighboring countries. In China-Vietnam relations, consensus is primary and cooperation is the main stream. To consolidate and further develop these relations is our most important common interest and conducive to not only the two countries in concentrating minds on their economic development, but also the development of the progressive cause of all human beings. So long as the two sides perform according to the 16-word principle of "long-term stability, future-oriented, good-neighborliness and comprehensive cooperation" defined by leaders of the two countries, China-Vietnam relations can continue to develop smoothly.

Wen Jiabao extended his congratulations upon the achievements scored since Vietnam's reform and opening up. He said that currently Vietnam enjoys economic development, social stability and substantially upgraded living standards of people. The Chinese government and people are delighted to see the development and changes of Vietnam. The hosting of the Fifth ASEM Summit Meeting by Vietnam this time is the concrete representation of its diplomatic achievements.

Nong Duc Manh welcomed Wen Jiabao's official visit to Vietnam. He said that the Vietnam-China friendship has grown up under the cultivation of the old generations of leaders of the two countries. We must carry on this friendly tradition and develop it to a higher level. The Vietnamese Communist Party and government will continue deepening friendly cooperation with China under the guidance of "the 16-word principle" so as to make the two countries "good neighbors, good friends, good comrades and good partners". Vietnam admires the continuously rapid economic development in successive years and long-term social stability and prosperity in China and appreciates China for supporting Vietnam's process of striving for national independence and socialist construction over the years. Nong Duc Manh asked Wen Jiabao to convey his good wishes to Hu Jintao.