President Xi Jinping said Friday that his visit to Vietnam is expected to strengthen the traditional China-Vietnam friendship and map out the development for bilateral ties in the future.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks in a written statement on arrival at Da Nang airport in Vietnam.

Xi will attend the 25th APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting held in Da Nang from Friday to Saturday. He will pay state visits to Vietnam and Laos from Sunday to Tuesday after attending the APEC events.

Noting that China attaches great importance to relations with Vietnam, Xi said in the statement that he hoped to exchange views on issues of joint concern with General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam Nguyen Phu Trong, President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam Tran Dai Quang, and people from other sectors of Vietnam.

In the statement, Xi extended sincere greetings and best wishes to the brotherly Communist Party of Vietnam, Vietnamese government and Vietnamese people on behalf of the Communist Party of China, the Chinese government and Chinese people.

China and Vietnam are close neighbors and both are socialist countries with similar political systems and development paths, Xi said, adding that the enhanced bilateral ties have brought practical benefits for people on both sides and contributed to global peace, stability and prosperity.

Both General Secretary of the CPV Central Committee Nguyen Phu Trong and Vietnamese President Tran Dai Quang have visited China this year, during which the leaders of China and Vietnam have held intensive talks and agreed to boost political mutual trust, Xi said, adding that consensuses between the two countries' leaders have been gradually implemented.