Chinese top lawmaker Wu Bangguo Friday called for the legislative bodies of China and the United States to enhance dialogue for closer China-US ties.

Wu, chairman of the Standing Committee of China's National People's Congress (NPC), made the appeal when meeting with Lisa Murkowski, chairwoman of the Asia-Pacific group of the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

"Parliamentary exchanges are a key component of state-to-state ties," Wu said.

The NPC, China's parliament, held two rounds of talks respectively with the US Senate and House of Representatives last year.

"Such consultations had significant impact on enhancing mutual understanding and political trust," he said.

He said the NPC attaches high importance to its relations with the US Congress and is ready to improve dialogue, exchanges and communications through a regular exchange mechanism to jointly ensure bilateral constructive cooperative ties to grow in a healthy and steady way.

He hailed the new progress of the China-US ties, saying that it was well proved that the development of the China-US relationship serves the common interests of the two countries and the two peoples as well as the peace, stability and development of the Asia Pacific region and the world.

Murkowski said her short trip to China has convinced here that the more dialogues the legislative bodies have, the better relations the two countries will have.

Describing US-China relations as "very important", she said she believed the two countries should work together to bring more benefits to the two peoples through frank dialogue and expanded cooperation.

(Xinhua News Agency January 14, 2006)