BEIJING, March 2 -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday congratulated Vo Van Thuong on assuming office as president of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.

Noting that China and Vietnam are friendly socialist neighbors linked by mountains and rivers, Xi said that since last year he and General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong have reached important consensus on consolidating traditional friendship, strengthening strategic communication and deepening mutually beneficial cooperation.

They have also jointly drawn a grand blueprint for the development of the China-Vietnam comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership in the new era, Xi added.

Xi said that he attaches great importance to China-Vietnam relations, adding that he stands ready to work with Thuong to continuously promote sound and stable development of bilateral relations, so as to make progress towards jointly building a China-Vietnam community with a shared future that bears strategic significance.