---

Visiting Chinese top legislator Wu Bangguo, chairman of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, Friday met here with Speaker of the Zambian National Assembly, Amusaa Mwanamwambwa, exchanging views on strengthening exchange and cooperation between the two parliaments.

The Chairman described his visit to Zambia which started Thursday as short but fruitful as well as successful.

Mwanamwambwa congratulated Wu on his successful visit and spoke highly of Wu's speech, entitled "Enhancing Mutual Trust and Promoting Common Development", delivered earlier at the Zambian Parliament.

The speaker also briefed the guest the function and operation of his parliament, expressing the desire to maintain contacts and exchanges between the two parliaments.

Wu also briefed the Zambian speaker on China's NPC system and the practice of socialist legal system.

He said since it started economic reform over 20 years ago, China has also been pursuing political reform, with priority given to the principle of rule of law, and so far a socialistic legal system with the Constitution at the core has been basically formed.     

Wu pointed out that the contacts and exchanges among the parliaments is an important part of the country-to-country relations, and the NPC and Zambian National Assembly play an important role in their own countries.

He said though China and Zambia have different social and cultural background, they are all challenged by strengthening democracy and legal system.

Wu expressed the desire to encourage bi-parliamentarian contacts and exchanges, learning from each and deepening the friendship between the two peoples in an effort to contribute to the all-round development of relations between the two countries.

He also invited Mwanamwambwa and his parliament members to pay an official visit to China. Mwanamwambwa accept the invitation.

On the same day, Wu also held separate talks with Zambian President Levy Mwanamwasa and Vice President Lupando Mwape, and witnessed the signing of agreements on economic and technical cooperation between the two countries.

Wu, who is on a four-nation African tour that had taken him to Kenya and Zimbabwe, will fly to the Copperbelt Province of Zambia to pay a visit to the Chambishi copper mine invested by China before leaving for Nigeria.