China values its ties with Sweden, hopes to handle this relationship from a strategic and long-term perspective and to further tighten in-depth exchanges in all fields, so as to push the friendly cooperative ties to a new high, senior party leader Wu Guanzheng said in Stockholm Wednesday.

Wu, member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, said this in a meeting with Goran Persson, Swedish Prime Minister and chairman of the Social Democratic Party (SDP).

Wu, also secretary of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection of the CPC Central Committee, said the Sino-Swedish relations have been progressing in a sound way since the two countries forged diplomatic ties 55 years ago, and the mutual understanding and trust has continuously been strengthened.

He stated that the exchanges and cooperation in all sectors have been fruitful, while the frequent exchange of high-level contacts has served to give big impetus to the smooth growth of the relations between the two nations.

The CPC is willing to continue to tighten dialogue and exchanges with the SDP, in a bid to promote the state-to-state relations, said Wu, who also briefed Persson on the circumstances of the CPC.

Persson felt satisfied with the good momentum of the relationship between the two countries, saying Sweden treasures its friendly ties with China and hopes to further tighten bilateral high-level contacts.

He said Sweden will, in line with the one-China policy, continue to expand and deepen the mutually beneficial cooperation in the political, economic and trade sectors, so as to make bilateral ties score even greater progress.

In a separate meeting with vice speaker of the Swedish parliament Per Westerberg Wednesday, Wu said the CPC is willing to further strengthen all kinds of exchanges and cooperation with all friendly parties of Sweden, in a bid to promote the long-term, steady and healthy development of the state-to-state ties.

Later Wednesday, Wu also visited the headquarters of the Swedish telecommunications giant Ericsson in the company of its chairman Michael Treschow.

Wu flied from Malta to Sweden Tuesday, the second leg of his four-nation good-will visit in Europe, which will also take him to Finland and Belarus, before flying back to Beijing on September 28. He will conclude his Swedish tour before leaving for Finland Thursday afternoon.

(Xinhua News Agency September 22, 2005)