Frene Ginwala, speaker of the South African National Assembly, pledged in Cape Town on November 19 that her country would make greater efforts to promote ties with China.

Ginwala, speaking at a banquet in honor of Li Peng, chairman of China's National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, said South Africa and China, though far apart from each other, have common interests that bind them together.

She said strengthening cooperation between the two countries in various fields would benefit both of them.

Li Peng said that China and South Africa, both as developing countries, face identical or similar tasks of development and it was in the mutual interests of both countries to further develop bilateral ties.

He said the warm welcome extended to him demonstrated the friendship between the two countries and two peoples.

Li Peng is the highest ranking Chinese leader to visit South Africa since the two countries established diplomatic ties in 1998.

South Africa is the second leg of Li's six-nation Afro-Asian tour which will also take him to Kenya, Israel, Palestine and Oman. he has already visited Mauritius.

Li's entourage includes his wife Zhu Lin; He Chunlin, secretary-general of the NPC Standing Committee, and some members of the NPC Standing Committee and deputies to the NPC as well as leading members of the NPC committees of the ethnic affairs, foreign affairs and internal and judicial affairs. (Xinhua)