China welcomes more parliamentarians from Malta to visit the country, Chairman of the Standing Committee of China's National People's Congress (NPC) Li Peng said in Beijing on Wednesday.
Over recent years, Li said, the Chinese NPC and Maltese parliament had gradually widened exchanges, which played an important role in increasing mutual understanding and friendship between the two peoples and in promoting mutually beneficial cooperation between the two countries.
Li made the remarks during his meeting with Anton Tabone, speaker of the House of Representatives of Malta, in Beidaihe, a summer resort in north China's Hebei Province.
Noting that the two countries enjoyed very good relations at present, Li said President Jiang Zemin and Maltese President Guidode Marco exchanged visits last July, and that the visits have strongly pushed bilateral ties to a new high.
Li said he also visited Malta in 1995 and left with a deep and good impression. China was keen to go on deepening the friendship and achieve new results in boosting friendly cooperative ties with Malta, he added.
Moreover, Li briefed the Maltese visitors about the national people's congress system and the development of China's legal system. He also explained China's views on the current international situation.
Tabone said the Maltese parliament and the Chinese NPC should continue to strengthen exchanges and cooperation, and that the two countries should maintain their current momentum in exchange of visits, an important channel for developing friendship and cooperation. The Maltese parliament was ready to contribute its share to the further growth of bilateral ties, he stressed.
(Xinhua News Agency July 25, 2002)
