Vice-premier Zhang Gaoli (L) poses for a photo with Vietnam's Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung before their meeting at the Government Office in Hanoi, July 16, 2015. [Photo/Agencies]

HANOI - Vice-premier Zhang Gaoli called for closer practical cooperation between China and Vietnam as he met with Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung on Thursday.

Noting that the development of China and Vietnam brings great opportunities for each other, Zhang suggested the two sides align China's Belt and Road initiative and Vietnam's Two Corridors and One Economic Circle plan, and advance maritime, on-land and financial cooperation simultaneously.

Besides trade cooperation, Zhang said the two sides should boost industrial capacity and sub-national cooperation.

Zhang also looked forward to more people-to-people exchanges between the two nations to lay a more solid social foundation for the development of bilateral relations.

Zhang, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, arrived in Hanoi on Thursday for an official visit at the invitation of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee.

Hailing the momentum of the improving Vietnam-China relationship, Dung said the Vietnamese party and government know well that Vietnam-China relationship is a very special one and that the Vietnamese side will firmly safeguard the friendship between the two nations.

The prime minister said that both Vietnam and China need peaceful and stable environments to focus on cooperation and development, which is in the fundamental interests of the two countries and peoples.

The Vietnamese side stands ready to conjoin its development strategy with China, boost bilateral cooperation and increase people-to-people exchanges, especially among the youth, he added.

Dung expressed the hope that the two nations would follow the consensus reached between the party leaders to properly handle maritime disputes and jointly safeguard peace on the sea.

He proposed the two sides to conduct a joint survey outside the bay mouth of the Beibu Gulf as soon as possible this year to send out a positive signal to the international community as well as the people of the two countries, and to deepen the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership between the two nations.

Wang Jiarui, vice-chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and head of the International Department of the CPC Central Committee, attended Thursday's meeting in Hanoi.