国内英语新闻:China regards Egypt important strategic cooperative partner, says top legislator

BEIJING, Dec. 9 (Xinhua) -- China's top legislator Wu Bangguo said Wednesday the country regards Egypt as one of the most important strategic cooperative partners among Arabian and African nations.

    "We attach great importance to the relations with Egypt," Wu, chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC), China's top legislature, told visiting Deputy Speaker of Egyptian People's Assembly Zeinab Radwan.

To promote relations between China and Egypt, both influential countries in the world, conformed to the fundamental interests of the two nations and the two peoples, and was also conducive to regional and world peace and prosperity, Wu said.

Wu Bangguo (R), chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC), shakes hands with visiting Deputy Speaker of Egyptian People's Assembly Zeinab Radwan in Beijing, Dec. 9, 2009.

    "We are ready to work with Egypt to maintain high-level exchanges, increase friendly cooperation and strengthen coordination in international affairs," Wu said, noting that this would help achieve common development and benefit the two peoples.

    Wu also applauded Egypt's long-term and firm support to China on issues concerning Taiwan, Tibet and Xinjiang.

    Radwan was here to attend the third meeting under a regular exchange mechanism between the parliaments of China and Egypt.

    Hailing the role of the regular exchange mechanism, Wu said it provided the two parliaments with direct, in-depth and effective channels to communicate with each other, and had become an important platform for parliamentary exchanges.

    Under the active promotion of the leaders from both nations, the two parliaments set up the regular exchange mechanism in 2007.

    Wu hoped the two parliaments would further improve the mechanism.

    Echoing Wu, Radwan said the Egyptian People's Assembly would make use of the mechanism construction to advance the level of parliamentary cooperation between the two sides.

    As to Egypt-China ties, Radwan said the two countries in recent years had witnessed frequent high-level visits and fruitful cooperation in investment, tourism, economy and trade.

    Egypt valued the relations with China, and would work with the country to enhance exchanges and cooperation in various sectors.

    Radwan is visiting China from Dec. 4 to 10 at the invitation of the NPC Standing Committee.