The two countries, historical enemies which fought a brief war in 1979 and only normalised ties in 1991, have gradually been putting territorial disputes behind them to pursue more friendly relations.

China is now one of Vietnam's main trading partners and Hu's visit -- his first since becoming Chinese president -- marks another step in their improving relationship.

"The maintenance of high-level meetings between leaders of the two countries represents a very important element contributing to the enhancement of mutual trust and understanding between the two peoples," Vietnamese foreign ministry spokesman Le Dung said.

Hu was welcomed by hundreds of young people waving Chinese and Vietnamese flags at the airport.

The communist parties in the two nations have strong links and experts say Hanoi can undertake few reforms without tacit support from Beijing.

"Hu's visit is even more important at a time when the leaders in Hanoi are preparing for the 10th Congress of the Vietnamese Communist Party (next year) and are looking at the choice of new leaders, something China is watching very closely," said a Vietnamese diplomat who asked not to be named.

Hu met Monday with President Tran Duc Luong as well as Vietnamese Communist Party General Secretary Nong Duc Manh.

The Vietnamese leadership was expected to try to ease Beijing's concern about US influence in the country.

In June Prime Minister Phan Van Khai became the first Vietnamese head of government to visit Washington since the end of the war between the two countries in the 1970s.

The United States and Vietnam have also signed a deal to let the Vietnamese army acquire technical, medical and language training in the United States.

"Vietnamese will be trained in the US. I expect to see some (army) officers trained in China," said Carl Thayer, a specialist on Vietnam at the Australian Defence Force Academy in Canberra.

Last week China and Vietnam signed an agreement to engage in joint military patrols in the Gulf of Tonkin where the two nations have been involved in a border dispute for years.

The deal was signed between Chinese Defense Minister Cao Gangchuan and his visiting Vietnamese counterpart Pham Van Tra.

Several sources in Hanoi have also raised the issue of China's desire for a presence at Cam Ranh, a naval base in the south of the country built by the United States during the war.

"China could bring up its wish to rent Cam Ranh as a way of expanding its influence in the south," the Vietnamese diplomat said.

The two countries are also rapidly building up economic relations.

"At present, we are working very hard to achieve the target of the two-way trade turnover of 10 billion US dollars by 2010 ... (if possible even) ahead of schedule," Le Dung said.

Several agreements were signed on power projects and the railway industry.

Hu also attended the signing of a "framework agreement" between China National Offshore Oil Corp and the Vietnam Oil and Gas Corp, also known as PetroVietnam, in the Tonkin Gulf.

No details were released about its content.

Vietnam had hoped to join the WTO this year and has blamed the United States for "making trouble" over its bid. The country has now set its sights on joining in 2006, the 20th anniversary of its economic opening-up and transition towards a market economy.

On Tuesday, Hu Jintao is expected to address the National Assembly, a privilege reserved for very high-level visitors.

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