BEIJING, Aug. 19 (Xinhua) -- Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and Chinese president, held talks with To Lam, general secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee and Vietnamese president, on Monday in Beijing.

Xi welcomed Lam's state visit to China and once again congratulated him on election as general secretary of the CPV Central Committee.

China is the destination for Lam's first overseas visit after taking office as general secretary of the CPV Central Committee. Xi said this fully reflects the great importance he attaches to the relations between the two parties and the two countries, as well as the high level and strategic nature of China-Vietnam relations.

Xi expressed the willingness to establish good working relations and personal friendship with Lam to jointly guide the substantial development in building a China-Vietnam community with a shared future.