The forthcoming visit by Chinese President Hu Jintao to Vietnam is of great importance, showing the fine development of friendly and cooperative relations between the two countries, an APEC (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation) official told Xinhua here Sunday.

"This is the second trip (by Hu Jintao) to Vietnam within one year. It reflects good traditional ties between the two countries," said Pham Sanh Chau, head of a section in charge of information, culture and education under the APEC Secretariat, at the Hanoi National Convention Center, the venue of the annual APEC Asian meetings.

Vietnam and China have close relations which have developed quickly and soundly in many fields, said Chau, who is also vice director of a department under the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

He noted that the close ties have borne specific fruits, including the recent establishment of the China-Vietnam steering committee on cooperation, which is mainly designated for coordinating their cooperation in various spheres.

Hu's approaching trip is well prepared, Chau said, adding that the Chinese president, scheduled to pay a state visit to Vietnam from Wednesday to Saturday, will attend the 14th APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting slated for Nov. 18-19 in Hanoi.

On the occasion of the leaders' meeting, five leaders of the world's biggest economies or countries having strong bonds with Vietnam will visit the country, he said. They include the Chinese president, U.S. President George W. Bush, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Chilean President Michelle Bachelet Jeria.

On Sunday, senior officials from 21 APEC member economies met in an informal session in Hanoi, starting the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting Week, including the 14th APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting, the 18th Joint Ministerial Meeting, the Concluding Senior Officials' Meeting and the Chief Executive Officers' Summit.

The two-day Concluding Senior Officials Meeting is very important as it will concludes the outcomes of three previous meetings of the officials in 2006; prepares contents for discussions at the 18th Joint Ministerial Meeting slated for Wednesday and Thursday, and even the 14th APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting; and outlines future discussions for APEC's development orientations, Chau stated.