China's top legislator Wu Bangguo's just-concluded visit to four African countries proves to be successful and has contributed to promoting the development of relations between China and Africa, a senior Chinese official accompanying Wu on the visit said on November 9.

Wu, chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC), visited Kenya, Zimbabwe, Zambia and Nigeria from October 29 to November 8 at the invitation of top leaders of the four countries.

In an interview with Chinese reporters covering the visit, Lu Congmin, vice-chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the NPC, said that Wu's Africa tour is yet another major diplomatic activity on the part of the Chinese leadership following visits to Africa by Chinese President Hu Jintao, Premier Wen Jiabao and Vice-President Zeng Qinghong since late 2003.

Wu's Africa tour is of great significance to consolidating China's friendly relations with the four African countries and promoting the development of Sino-African relations, Lu said.

During the visit, Wu respectively met or held talks with the presidents, vice-presidents or parliament speakers of the four countries on bilateral relations, Sino-African cooperation and other major issues of common concern, reaching broad consensus.

According to Lu, Wu's Africa tour is successful mainly in terms of the following respects:

Firstly, the visit has contributed to keeping the momentum of high-level exchange between China and Africa, consolidating the traditional friendship between the two sides, strengthening political mutual trust and promoting Sino-African cooperation.

When visiting each of the four countries, Wu emphasized that todevelop friendly relations with all developing countries including African nations is a cornerstone of China's foreign policy and also a guideline that China will stick to on a long-term basis. The visit was intended to further promote the development of Sino-African relations.

During the visit, Wu highly commented on the relations between China and the four countries, and expressed appreciation to the four countries for their consistent support to China on the issues of Taiwan, Tibet and human rights, which serves as a political basis for maintaining and developing bilateral relations.

In response, top leaders of the four countries appreciated China's efforts to develop relations with the four countries and reaffirmed that their countries will stick to the one-China policy that will never change in future.

The two sides agreed that to further strengthen Sino-African friendly cooperation is a common aspiration of both the Chinese and African peoples, which conforms to the fundamental interests of both sides, which is beneficial to the common development of China and Africa and which is of great strategic significance.

Secondly, the visit has contributed to promoting the development of bilateral economic and trade cooperation.

During the visit, China and the four countries signed a series of cooperation accords, and discussed in an in-depth way possible areas, approaches and ways for deepening bilateral cooperation.

To actively promote mutually beneficial economic and trade cooperation between China and the four countries was a major target of Wu's visit, and also an issue greatly concerned about by top leaders of the four African countries.

Wu briefed his hosts on socio-economic development in China since China adopted the policy of economic restructuring and opening to the outside world in 1978, and stressed China's development has brought opportunities to the development of Sino-African cooperation.

Wu also said China is willing to actively promote effective cooperation with the four countries in such areas as energy, infrastructure, agriculture and manufacture, and actively explore new ways of economic and trade cooperation with the four countries.

Wu said China will encourage powerful enterprises to invest in, transfer technology to the four African countries and import competitive products from them. Meanwhile, he also hoped the four countries will provide Chinese investors with preferential policies and a favorable business environment.

Top leaders of the four countries responded positively to Wu's statements and reached broad consensus. They believed the economies of China and African countries are well complementary to each other, and that there exist vast areas for cooperation with big potential to tap.

Thirdly, the visit has contributed to strengthening inter-parliamentary exchanges between China and the four African countries, enhancing Sino-African friendship and pushing forward relations between the two sides.

Wu pointed out that inter-parliamentary exchanges are an important part of State-to State relations. Although China and thefour countries have different social systems with diverse history and cultures, the NPC and the parliaments of the four countries are all playing an important role in the political life of their respective countries, and all face the great task of strengthening the establishment of a democratic legal system.

The NPC attaches great importance to its friendly relations with the parliaments of the four countries, Wu said.

The NPC is willing to strengthen exchanges with the parliaments of the four countries, according to Wu.

In response, top parliament leaders of the four countries expressed agreement to Wu's proposal for strengthening inter-parliamentary exchanges between the two sides, and expressed the willingness to strengthen exchanges and cooperation with the NPC, in the interest of bilateral relations.

Fourthly, during the visits, Wu and top leaders of the four countries exchanged views on the international situation, Sino-African relations and major issues of common concern, coordinating positions and reaching consensus on a series of major issues.

Wu pointed out that China and African nations including the four countries share broad aspects of common interests in dealing with international affairs and have the basis for cooperation between the two sides. They hold similar or identical views on the current international situation.

In talks between Wu and top leaders from each of the four countries, the two sides agreed that China and African countries all advocate the democratization of international relations, and hold that all countries, big or small, strong or weak, rich or poor, are equal members of the international community.

The two sides expressed the belief that internal affairs of a country should be solved by its own people and that international affairs should be settled through equal and friendly negotiations.

They agreed that the diversity of world civilizations be respected, and that the people of all countries have the right to choose the path of development which is suitable for the realities in their countries.

In the talks, Wu reiterated that China will as ever support the reasonable claims and demands of developing nations including African countries, to promote their solidarity and cooperation.

Wu pledged that China will continue supporting efforts made by African countries to settle regional conflicts and develop their economies. China is willing to coordinate its stance with African countries on multilateral affairs so as to safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of developing countries, Wu said.

Leaders of the four countries highly commended on the independent policy of peace China has stuck to on a long-term basis and hoped that China, as the largest developing country in the world, will exert greater influence in international affairs.

To sum up, Wu's visit is a complete success, is fruitful and has met the desired targets.