A visiting Chinese delegation to Zimbabwe proposed in Harare Tuesday that the two countries should develop town twinning following the establishment of such connection between Zimbabwe's Mashonaland West Province and northwest China's Gansu Province in 2004.

"We appreciate the friendship between our two countries. We want to enhance and strengthen the friendship through the local government vehicles. We want to see twinning arrangements between cities, towns and provinces," said Wang Yunze, head of the delegation, which arrived here Monday for a three-day goodwill visit.

China and Zimbabwe share a lot in common and therefore would work together to achieve development, said Wang, vice-president of the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, when meeting Ignatius Chombo, Zimbabwe's minister of local Government, public works and urban development.

Wang invited Chombo to visit China to enhance bilateral cooperation on local government issues.

Chombo said Zimbabwe wanted to benefit from China's experiences in housing, road construction and public service delivery.

"We could benefit in terms of sourcing equipment such as refuse collection trucks, road construction and maintenance vehicles and other related equipment. We could work out a bilateral arrangement to that effect," the minister said.

Chombo said the Zimbabwean government was interested in the building expertise and technology employed by China.

He said Zimbabwe was already a beneficiary of cooperation with China, citing the purchase of 50 conventional buses from the First Automotive Works. At least five luxury buses and 17 engines are also in transit from China to Zimbabwe under the same deal.

Source: Xinhua