China's top legislator Wu Bangguo, who is on an official goodwill visit to Zimbabwe, met with Speaker of Zimbabwean National Assembly Emmerson Mnangagwa on Tuesday morning in Harare.

They exchanged views and reached common understanding on bilateral relations, parliamentarian exchanges, and on international and regional issues of common concern.

Mnangagwa said that the visit by Wu, chairman of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, embodied the friendship and unity between the two countries and peoples and renewed the important top-level contacts following the milestone visit by former Chinese president Jiang Zemin in 1995.

He said the Zimbabwean government, parliament and people treasure the political and economic support by China which dated from the time when the Zimbabwean people struggled for national liberation and independence.

The speaker said Zimbabwe admires China's consistent foreign policy which respects the people's own choices in every country, big or small, and upholds justice in international affairs.

In response, Wu said in spite of the vicissitudes of the international situation, China and Zimbabwe have witnessed smooth development of bilateral relations ever since the establishment of diplomatic ties 24 years ago. The two countries have enhanced political mutual trust, continuously expanded economic cooperation and trade, carried out fruitful exchanges and cooperation in all other fields, and enjoyed close coordination and mutual support in international affairs to have jointly frustrated many anti-China and anti-Zimbabwe motions presented by some western countries.

Wu also elaborated China's principled stands on human rights, the Taiwan issue and the Tibet issue, praising the Zimbabwean government and parliament in their long-term and steadfast support to the "one-China" principle.

Wu said that China cherishes its friendship with Zimbabwe and regards Zimbabwe as a reliable friend and an important partner in Africa.

On the future development of bilateral relations, Wu suggested that the two countries should maintain frequent visits and contacts at top level, deepen cooperation in economic and trade sectors and further strengthen cooperation in international affairs.

On the parliamentarian exchanges, Wu said he hoped the NPC and Zimbabwe's National Assembly to maintain traditional friendly exchanges and cooperation, and the contacts between their special committees and various groups.

Mnangagwa expressed his complete support to Wu's suggestions to enhance the Sino-Zimbabwean relations.

He said the Zimbabwean government admires China's policies on Africa and its support to African countries in the international arena.

On economic and trade cooperation, he said, the two countries should focus in the agriculture, minerals and tourism industries, and the Zimbabwean government will give high priority to the cooperation with Chinese enterprises, and the National Assembly will lay down corresponding laws to ensure such cooperation.

Zimbabwe is the second leg of Wu's four-nation African tour, which has taken him to Kenya and will take him to Zambia and Nigeria.