China will continue to further friendship and cooperation with Tanzania, Chinese President Jiang Zemin said at a meeting with visiting Tanzanian Prime Minister Frederick T. Sumaye in Beijing Thursday afternoon.

Jiang said the deep friendship between China and Tanzania was created and fostered by leaders of the former generation, and during the 36 years since the establishment of diplomatic ties,

the relationship has been progressing smoothly.

He referred to the fact that high-level contacts have been frequent, and both countries have supported and closely coordinated with each other in both economic construction and international affairs.

Jiang also voiced satisfaction over Tanzania's consistent support of China on issues including Taiwan, Tibet, and human rights.

China is glad to notice that in recent years, both governments have actively explored and tried new ways to cooperate in economy and trade, producing good results, he said.

The Chinese government is willing to work together with the Tanzanian government to further deepen friendship and yield more cooperative results in the new century.

Sumaye extended to Jiang kind regards from President Benjamin Mkapa. He said that with the current visit, he hopes to further consolidate the already existing long-term friendship and find new ways to cooperate.

He also hopes to gain a better understanding of China's economic construction, and to discover how China has made such important achievements in such a short period of time.

The prime minister expressed gratitude to the Chinese government and people for their consistent support and assistance to the Tanzanian people.

Jiang said China has been closely following the development of Tanzania, and expressed appreciation for the efforts of President Mkapa and the Tanzanian government in keeping national unity, safeguarding national stability, and implementing economic reforms, which have led to a steady growth of the national economy and an increase in the people's living standard in Tanzania.

In the 60s and 70s, Tanzania won a worldwide reputation for its steadfast support of the political emancipation of the African continent, Jiang said.

Today, Tanzania, while sticking to its principle of non-alliance and good-neighborliness, actively participates in regional affairs and stimulates regional economic integration. It has made great contribution to regional peace and development, and is playing an important role in Africa, especially in southeastern Africa, Jiang noted.

Sumaye arrived in Beijing on Wednesday for a six-day working visit at the invitation of Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji, and the two prime ministers held talks Wednesday afternoon.