¡¡¡¡HEKOU, Yunnan, July 13 (Xinhuanet) -- China and Vietnam simultaneously held unveiling ceremonies for a new boundary stone between the two countries on Saturday afternoon.

¡¡¡¡The new boundary stone stands between Vietnam and southwest China's Yunnan province. The ceremony on the Chinese side was heldin Hekou county, Yunnan province, while the Vietnamese ceremony was held in Lao Cai.

¡¡¡¡The two countries had previously unveiled a boundary stone between Vietnam and south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Regionon December 27, 2001.

¡¡¡¡Addressing the unveiling ceremony, Wang Yi, China's vice-foreign minister and head of the Chinese government delegation forborder negotiations with Vietnam, spoke highly of progress made in bilateral ties over recent years.

¡¡¡¡"The land border treaty signed between the two nations three years ago has laid a solid foundation for lasting stability, peaceand prosperity in our border regions," said Wang.

¡¡¡¡After more than two years of work, he added, the Joint Committee on Border Surveying of the two countries has completed drafting border survey documents and relevant preparations.

¡¡¡¡"Setting up the new marker stone Saturday signifies that the time is mature for the two countries to fully launch the field border survey and marker stone installation," he said.

¡¡¡¡Moreover, he noted, border survey and installation of boundary stones was of far-reaching significance to the prosperity of both countries. He expressed the hope that experts on two sides would cooperate closely and strive to finish the entire project in threeyears.

¡¡¡¡"China and Vietnam are linked by mountains and water and the two peoples live close to each other," Wang said at the ceremony. "While serving as a territorial demarcation line, our border should also serve as a bridge for friendship and cooperation between our two countries." Enditem