HANOI, Sept. 22 (Xinhuanet) -- Visiting Governor of Washington Gary Locke has said that the Washington State of the United States wants to become a leading trade partner of Vietnam, local newspaper Youth reported on Wednesday.

    While meeting with Vietnamese Prime Minister Phan Van Khai on Tuesday, the governor expressed the state's wish for closer cooperation with Vietnam in two main fields, tourism and agriculture, especially in trade-related activities.

    Washington planned to open its commercial representative office either in the capital of Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City, he said, adding that among the total US exports to Vietnam last year, the state's accounted for 55 percent.

    The state will promote export of Boeing aircraft and potatoes to Vietnam, while import of agricultural products including rice and coffee, seafood and furniture from the country, Locke said.

    On tourism, he said the two sides should open air routes convenient to tourists, and he called for more direct flights between Vietnam and the United States, especially Washington.

    The trade volume between the two countries reached 6 billion USdollars last year, up 103.4 percent over the previous year. Of thefigure, 4.5 billion dollars came from Vietnamese exports, up 88.3 percent.

    Vietnam exports mainly textiles, garments, footwear, seafood, farm products and crude oil, and imports machinery, aircraft, electronic appliances, cotton and fertilizers.

    Gary Locke, also director of the US Department of Community, Trade, Economic Development and Agriculture, arrived in Vietnam on Monday for a five-day working visit. Enditem¡¡