The head of China's top political advisory body, Jia Qinglin, extended warm welcome to German companies Friday and invited them to increase cooperation with Chinese businessmen.

"We welcome people from the German business circle and hope they will actively join China's modernization process and have more mutual-beneficial cooperation with the Chinese side," Jia, chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), told Matthias Platzeck, president of the Federal Council of the German Parliament.

Platzeck, also Prime Minister of Brandenburg, a German state, is visiting China with a delegation of more than 60 German entrepreneurs. This is the first China visit made by a Federal Council President since German's reunification.

Jia said China and German are in good relations and the leaders of the two countries maintained close contact, which helped deepen mutual political trust and promote the development of the China- German strategic cooperative partnership.

He expressed his belief that Platzeck's visit to China will help improve understanding between the two sides. "The CPPCC is willing to improve exchanges with the Federal Council of German Parliament and all the sectors of German society to make positive contribution to China-German friendship and bilateral relations."

On the Taiwan issue, Jia said China appreciates German's long- term adherence to the one-China policy, its support to China's national unification and firm opposition to "Taiwan independence."

Platzeck said Germany believes the Anti-Secession Law passed by China's National People's Congress recently is aimed at fostering efforts of peaceful reunification.

He expressed his satisfaction with the stable and comprehensive economic and trade ties between the two counties. He said that Germany is very much attracted with China's development. He said he sincerely wishes China will maintain fast economic growth and make further achievements in development.