Chinese Top Lawmaker Meets Philippine President

Chinese Top Lawmaker Meets Philippine President

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The exchanges between the parliaments of China and the Philippines have become an important part of bilateral relations, said Chinese top lawmaker Li Peng Tuesday.

In a meeting with visiting Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo Tuesday, Li Peng, chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, said such exchanges

have and made positive contributions to enhancing mutual understanding and trust and promoting sound and stable development of bilateral relations.

Li noted that in recent years, Chinese and Philippine parliaments have maintained close exchanges, as they have established friendship groups and the two parliaments have maintained close cooperation in the international parliamentary organization.

Li welcomed more Philippine parliament members to visit China.

"They should see China with their own eyes, experience the friendly feelings of the Chinese people and strengthen exchanges in legislation and supervision," he said.

Li said China cherishes the friendship between China and the Philippines and sincerely hopes that both sides develop long-term and stable relations of good-neighborly mutual trust and mutually beneficial cooperation and expand exchanges and cooperation of all fields.

Li expressed happiness at the safe return of a Chinese citizen, Zhang Zhongyi, who was held hostage in the Philippines, and appreciation for President Arroyo's personal care and effort to save the Chinese hostage.

On the situation in China, Li said China has a large population and a weak economic foundation, and its development is unbalanced. To develop and unleash social productive forces is the central task in China and China needs a peaceful international environment,and stable neighboring environments in particular, he said.

Therefore, China holds to a policy of good-neighborliness and friendship, and sincerely hopes to develop all-round friendly relations and cooperation with Southeast Asian countries including the Philippines, Li said.

Li said the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting in Shanghai was a complete success. It is the results of joint efforts by all the participating members, and China thanks President Arroyo for her contributions.

Arroyo said she believes that exchanges between the Philippine parliament and China's National People's Congress would enhance friendly relations between the two countries.

Arroyo said the friendship between the Philippines and China dates back a long time and nongovernmental exchanges were widespread before the establishment of diplomatic relations.

She said she is proud of being active in promoting friendship between the Philippines and China as an initiator of Philippine-China Council of Understanding in the past.

Arroyo congratulated China on its successful hosting of the APEC meeting in Shanghai and warmly praised China for the rapid progress it has made since reform and opening up.

Arroyo said the Philippines welcomes China's admission to the World Trade Organization, adding that the move will place China in the center of the world economy and help it to assume an increasingly important role in regional and world economic development.

The Philippines would like to strengthen exchanges and cooperation with China in all fields and promote trade and investment between the two countries, she said.