SHANGHAI, Dhu-AlQa'dah 17, 1432, Oct 15, 2011, SPA - China and Vietnam have agreed to strengthen military cooperation, increase contacts between high-ranking officers and establish a hotline for the two defense ministries, in a bid to cool tensions between the neighbors. The two countries, also agreed to launch a pilot project of joint patrols along their land border, continue joint naval patrols in the Beibu Gulf and increase mutual visits of naval warships, the official Xinhua news agency reported on Saturday. A joint statement by China and Vietnam was issued at the end of Vietnamese Communist Party chief Nguyen Phu Trong's first visit to China this week where he held conciliatory talks with Hu Jintao, who is China's Communist Party chief and president. --SPA 14:04 LOCAL TIME 11:04 GMT www.spa.gov.sa/934296