The two Communist neighbors must respect each other and focus on long-term interests, President Xi Jinping said, according to the official Xinhua news agency.
"Sino-Vietnamese relations have been advancing continuously since the two nations established diplomatic relations, despite some twists and turns," he said.
Vietnamese President Truong Tan Sang said his country was ready to "properly deal with maritime issues through friendly consultation so that the issues will not affect its relations with China", according to Xinhua.
Sang said Vietnam was ready to step up high-level contacts and non-government swaps to strengthen its links with China.
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