Wei Jianxing, a Standing Committee member of the Political Bureau and Secretariat member of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, said this in a meeting with Rudolf Scharping, vice-chairman of the Social Democratic Party of Germany, in the Great Hall of the People.

Scharping, also German minister of defense and president of the Party of European Socialists, arrived here Sunday morning for a four-day official goodwill visit.

Recalling his visit to Germany last October, Wei said he was glad to meet Scharping again in Beijing.

He noted that bilateral relations have been proceeding smoothly, along with close high-level contacts, since the two countries established diplomatic ties in 1972.

Cooperation in the economic and trade sectors, and exchanges in the cultural, scientific and technological fields are continuing to score positive results, Wei said.

Especially in recent years, he said, bilateral exchanges and cooperation have been further expanded, and the Chinese side is satisfied with this good momentum.

The ongoing visit by Scharping will serve to push the friendly cooperation between the two nations to a new stage, Wei noted.

Wei said the relations between the two ruling parties are an important part of state-to-state ties.

His visit to Germany and Federal General Secretary Franz Muentefering's visit to China, both in 2000, laid a good basis for the mechanism of contacts and cooperation between the two parties in the new era, Wei said.

In the new century, he stressed, the CPC is willing to continue to expand and deepen the exchanges and dialogue between the parties and give a positive push to the relations between the two countries.

The Party of European Socialists is an important political force in Europe, and has made positive efforts to promote the healthy and stable development of Sino-European relations, Wei said, noting that the CPC is keen to increase mutual understanding and conduct friendly contacts.

Wei asked Scharping to pass his best wishes to Federal Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder of Germany and Federal General Secretary Franz Muentefering.

He also briefed the German visitor on China's political and economic situation, as well as the CPC's main tasks and goals in the new century.

During the meeting, Scharping said he was also glad to meet Wei again in such a short time since their meeting last October, noting that the two parties set up friendly contacts and reached a consensus in many fields when his then party chairman Willy Brandt visited China in the 1980s.

He noted that his party and the German government treasure highly their relationship with China, and will, as always, stick to the one-China principle, and strengthen their friendly exchanges and cooperation in party-to-party relations and in many other fields.

Dai Bingguo, head of the International Department of the CPC Central Committee, was present at Monday's meeting.

(Xinhua 02/20/2001)