Zambia and China, both developing countries, should strengthen exchanges in poverty reduction and education popularization, said visiting Zambian first lady Maureen Mwanawasa on Monday.

Mwanawasa, who arrived here Monday morning on an eight-day visit to China as guest of the Soong Ching Ling Foundation, made the remarks during her visit to residence of the late Soong Ching Ling (1893-1981), the wife of Sun Yat-sen and the former honorary president of China.

Soong, an outstanding stateswoman and a renowned activist in public affairs, devoted her life to the liberation of China and worked for Chinese women and children. The Soong Ching Ling Foundation was set up by Madame Song's relatives in Beijing in 1982 as a non-governmental organization to promote welfare of youth and children.

Mwanawasa said Zambia was willing to learn from China in such experiences as youth development, in a bid to help Zambia's young generation, which accounted for 75 percent of Zambia's total population, to make more contribution to Zambia's economic construction.

Zambia and China should further enhance cooperation in such fields as economy, trade, science and information technology, in a bid to get improvement in poverty reduction and education popularization, which were important for every country, she noted.

Hu Qili, chairman of the foundation, expressed his hope to strengthen exchanges and cooperation with the Maureen Mwanawasa Community Initiative, a non-governmental organization personally run by the first lady to address the plight of the vulnerable in society.

Mwanawasa paid the visit with a purpose to acquaint herself with China's non-governmental organization in promoting welfare of women and children and helping the poor and the weak, especially in HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment.

Besides Beijing, Mwanawasa will also visit Kunming, capital of southwest China's Yunnan Province, where a HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment center is located, and Shenzhen, an economic hub neighboring Hong Kong.