Chinese top legislator meets Micronesia, Croatia parliament speakers

Chinese top legislator Zhang Dejiang on Friday held separate meetings with Wesley Simina, speaker of Congress of the Federated States of Micronesia, and Josip Leko, Croatian Parliament Speaker.

Zhang, chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC), said the Pacific island country of Micronesia is China's good friend and partner and bilateral ties have made great progress in recent years.

Zhang mentioned President Xi Jinping's meeting with leaders of eight Pacific island countries in November 2014, who agreed to establish a strategic partnership featuring mutual respect and common development.

China has always supported Micronesia's economic and social development, Zhang said, calling on the country to use the preferential loans provided by China to expand bilateral cooperation in agriculture, fishery,infrastructure and clean energy.

China's NPC attaches importance to the friendly relations with Micronesia congress and is willing to enhance exchanges and cooperation with it, Zhang said.

Simina said Micronesia attaches importance to its relationship with China and adheres to the one-China principle and is willing to boost parliamentary exchanges.

When meeting with Leko, Zhang said this year marks the 10th anniversary of China-Croatia comprehensive partnership and that China's NPC is willing to maintain traditionally friendly exchanges with Croatia.

China is willing to consolidate political mutual trust and use the Belt and Road Initiative, and the cooperation mechanisms between China and the 16 Central and Eastern European countries to promote cooperation in various countries, Zhang said.

Leko said Croatia hoped to develop a closer relationship with China and expand cooperation in infrastructure and finance and enhance legislature cooperation. Endi