A Chinese leader said Friday that he hoped China and Indonesia would enhance religious cooperation to help push forward the relationships between the two countries and peoples.

Jia Qinglin, chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), said at a meeting with a visiting Indonesian religious delegation that there are many different religions in China.

The religious freedom is the basic right for the Chinese citizens, and has been protected by constitution and laws, Jia said. All religions are equal and co-exist and the religious people and atheists respect each other's beliefs and live in good harmony.

The delegation is headed by former Indonesian President Abdurrahman Wahid. Jia said Wahid is an old friend of China and has long contributed to the development of the Sino-Indonesian relations.

He said China and Indonesia are good neighbors and developing bilateral relations conforms to the fundamental interests of the two countries and peoples. It is beneficial to the peace, stability and development of the region and the rest of the world.

The year of 2005 marks the 55th anniversary of the establishment of the Sino-Indonesian diplomatic ties. It is also the 50th anniversary of the Bandung Conference, he said.

Wahid said bilateral exchanges in the religious field constitute an important component of the relationship between Indonesia and China. Indonesia will learn from China in handling religious affairs, and also hopes to further bilateral cooperation in this regard.