Visiting top legislator Wu Bangguo held talks with the leaders of Australia's Federal Parliament in Canberra Tuesday and the two sides exchanged views on bilateral ties, parliamentary exchanges and other issues of common interest. 

Wu, chairman of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, reached consensus with Senate President Paul Calvert and David Hawker, speaker of the House of Representatives, on many important issues they discussed.

On his current official goodwill visit to Australia, Wu said it is a complete success. The momentum of exchanges of visits at the top level has been maintained through his visit, during which he met Governor-General Michael Jeffery, Prime Minister John Howard, as well as the leaders of the states of Western Australia, Queensland and New South Wales, he said.

These meetings helped promote mutual understanding and enhance political mutual trust, he said, adding that his visit also facilitated bilateral trade and economic cooperation and gave a fresh impetus to the long-term strategic cooperation between the two countries in energy and mineral resources.

Wu said he had candid exchanges of views with Australian leaders on the international and regional issues of common concern and reached consensus on many issues. His visit also promoted the development of relations between the NPC and Australia's parliament.

Wu expressed satisfaction with the results of his visit. Wu, who left on Wednesday for New Zealand, the third leg of his current four-nation Asia-Pacific tour, said one of the main purposes of his visit to Australia is to strengthen exchanges and cooperation between the parliaments of the two countries.

The frequent contact and exchanges between the parliaments of the two countries should be regularized, Wu said. He hoped that more Australian parliamentarians, the young members of parliament in particular, would travel to China for visits.

Calvert and Hawker fully agreed. They said Wu's visit greatly promoted the development of China-Australia relations and agreed that the exchanges between the parliaments of the two countries should be strengthened.

After New Zealand, Wu will also visit Malaysia. He visited Singapore last week.

(Xinhua News Agency May 25, 2005)