Kabinga Pande, national vice－chairman of Zambia's ruling party the Movement for Multi-party Democracy (MMD), met in Lusaka on Wednesday with a goodwill delegation of the Communist Party of China (CPC).

During the meeting, the delegation's chief Li Jinjun spoke highly of the friendship between the two parties, which the CPC regards as a "solid" cornerstone for a warm China-Zambia relationship.

Li, who is vice minister of the International Department of the CPC Central Committee, hoped the party-to-party communication would further strengthen the ties between China and Zambia.

Li also appreciated MMD's stance on issues related to Taiwan, Tibet and others.

Pande hailed China's achievements under the leadership of the CPC, adding the MMD is willing to learn governance experience from its Chinese counterpart.

Pande also expressed gratitude to the CPC for its assistance and support since the two parties established communication in the 1990s.

He said cooperation between the CPC and MMD will be long-lasting and help promote the "all-weather" friendship shared by the two countries.

The delegation also paid a courtesy call to vice-President Rupiah Banda and conveyed regards to Levy Mwanawasa, Zambia's ailing president who is now under intensive care in France.

Mwanawasa, while attending an African Union summit in Egypt late last month, was hit by a stroke and soon flown to Paris for treatment.

The Chinese friendship delegation on Friday will continue its Africa tour in Tunisia at the invitation of the Tunisian Constitutional Democratic Rally. It will attend the party's fifth national congress as CPC representative on July 30.

The delegation just concluded a friendly visit to Malawi before flying to Zambia.

(Xinhua News Agency July 24, 2008)