CAIRO, March 24 (Xinhua) -- Senior Chinese legislator Wang Zhaoguo, who is here to attend a regular meeting with his Egyptian counterparts, met here Wednesday with Speaker of the Egyptian People's Assembly Ahmed Fathi Sorour, discussing ways to step up cooperation between the two parliaments.
Wang, vice-chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC), China's top legislative body, led an NPC delegation to Egypt for an official goodwill visit starting from Tuesday afternoon.
Wang said the two parliaments have for long maintained close exchanges and cooperation.
"The NPC will work together with the Egyptian People's Assembly to further improve the regular exchange mechanism, continuously promote the cooperation level, and better play the role of parliament exchanges in deepening understanding, enhancing mutual trust and promoting cooperation," Wang stressed.
Sorour, for his part, said Wang's visit is an important move to carry out the regular exchange mechanism agreed upon between the two parliaments.
He said he believed the visit and the fourth meeting of the regular exchange mechanism will definitely promote the development of bilateral friendly ties of cooperation.
On bilateral relations, Wang, who is also a member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, hailed the long history of friendship between China and Egypt, noting that bilateral relationship has been developing faster in recent years under the leadership and push of both heads of state.
He said China will continue to maintain high-level visits and political mutual trust with Egypt, further expand cooperation between the two sides for the benefit of both countries' social and economic development, and enhance mutual coordination in international and regional issues, to be devoted to building a harmonious world featuring lasting peace and common prosperity.
He urged both sides to make persisting efforts to promote the strategic relationship of cooperation for continuous progress.
Sorour vowed that the Egyptian side is ready to deepen cooperation with China in the fields of investment, education, tourism and others.
The Egyptian parliament speaker affirmed that Egypt will firmly adhere to the one-China policy.
On Wednesday, both Wang and Sorour attended the fourth meeting of the regular exchange mechanism, at which Wang gave a key-note speech.
He said in his speech that Egypt is the first African and Arab country to establish diplomatic ties with China, and established strategic relationship of cooperation with China as early as in 1999.
He expressed appreciation of Egypt's adherence to the one-China policy all the way, and its support regarding the issues related to Taiwan, Tibet, Xinjiang and human rights which concern China's sovereignty and core interests.
Wang said China cherishes the traditional friendship with Arab nations and has always and firmly supported the just cause of the Arab people and supported the Middle East peace process.
Wang suggested that the NPC and the Egyptian People's Assembly strengthen direct dialogue and exchanges to deepen trust and cooperation between the two nations.
He also urged both nations to strengthen economic and trade exchanges, expand cooperation to more fields, give more support to the friendly exchanges between the two peoples, and especially encourage the youth exchanges to pass China-Egypt friendship from generation to generation.
China and Egypt set up the regular parliamentary exchange mechanism in May 2007, which convenes annually in both countries in turn.