Li Peng, chairman of the Chinese National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, met with visiting Czech Prime Minister Milos Zeman in Beijing on December 17.

Li said that great changes have taken place in the world situation as well as in China and the Czech Republic over the past 50 years since the two countries forged diplomatic ties. However, the friendship between the people of China and the Czech Republic remains unchanged, he added.

Sino-Czech friendship and cooperation in various fields have been reinforced with frequent bilateral contacts at all levels and an increasing trade volume between the two countries in recent years, Li said.

The two sides have signed a contract for power generators, which marks further progress in bilateral economic and trade cooperation, Li noted.

The NPC chairman stated that exchanges between the parliaments of the two countries have actively promoted Sino-Czech relations. The NPC values its ties with the Czech parliament and has established a Sino-Czech friendship group, Li told Zeman.

The NPC is ready to further enhance its ties with the Czech parliament, which will help strengthen the friendship between the two countries and foster a sound and stable bilateral relationship, Li said.

Zeman said his country attaches importance to advancing cooperative ties with China. However, bilateral economic and trade links still leg behind, he said, adding that the Czech Republic will work to reinforce bilateral economic and trade cooperation.

The Czech parliament is also ready to boost its contacts with the Chinese NPC, Zeman told Li.