Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung Tuesday told Chinese businesspeople now is a good time to do business in Vietnam.

“The purpose of this visit by the Vietnamese government delegation is to work with Chinese leaders on measures to concretize the two countries’ comprehensive strategic partnership with the priority given to trade and investment cooperation,” he said.

Dung said the close proximity of Vietnam and China would help the two nations boost cooperation.

He urged the Chinese province of Hainan to increase cooperation in tourism, shipping and the processing of farm, forestry products and seacooking with Vietnamese localities to increase the value of trade to US$1 billion by 2010.

Hainan Governor Luo Baoming, said the sisterhood ties between Hainan and Vietnam’s Quang Ninh Province had laid a firm foundation for bilateral cooperation, with two-way trade between the island and Vietnam reaching $260 million in 2007.

The governor proposed relevant Vietnamese and Hainan agencies open talks on economic and trade cooperation.

He also said the acceleration of maritime transport cooperation, the opening of direct flights from Hainan to Vietnam and the promotion of tourism services were also a priority.

At the forum, Prime Minister Dung witnessed the signing of cooperation agreements between the Hainan authorities and the Vietnam Ministry of Industry and Trade before leaving for Beijing.

Source: VNA