Li Zhanshu (R), chairman of the National People's Congress Standing Committee, holds talks with Egypt's Parliament Speaker Ali Abdel-Aal in Beijing, capital of China, June 18, 2019. (Photo: Xinhua)

 
Li Zhanshu, chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC), held talks with Egypt's Parliament Speaker Ali Abdel-Aal here on Tuesday.

The two also attended the first phase of the fifth meeting of the exchange mechanism between Chinese and Egyptian parliaments.

Hailing the sound development of bilateral ties in the past, Li said China has always viewed and promoted the China-Egypt ties from a strategic height and a long-term perspective and worked together with Egypt to support each other on issues concerning core interests and major concerns.

China stands ready to enhance alignment of development strategies with Egypt, intensify Belt and Road cooperation so as to lift bilateral ties to a new level, he said.

Stressing that China stands for further consolidation of an open, inclusive, transparent, non-discriminatory and rules-based multilateral trading system, Li called China and Egypt to enhance unity and cooperation and contribute to the common development of developing countries and the building of a community with a shared future for humanity.

Li also called on the NPC and Egypt's Parliament to strengthen exchanges at different levels, in various forms and via different channels, give full play to the role of the exchange mechanism between the two legislature bodies and share experiences on legislation, supervision and state governance so as to inject new impetus into bilateral ties.

Ali said Egypt speaks highly of the Belt and Road Initiative and believes that it will bring huge opportunities to bilateral cooperation.

Egypt will as always firmly support China on issues of China's major concerns and is ready to enhance bilateral cooperation in fighting terrorism and coordination in international affairs, Ali said, adding that Egypt's parliament looks forward to closer cooperation with the NPC.

Also on Tuesday, Wang Yang, chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) National Committee, met with Ali.

The CPPCC is willing to strengthen exchanges with Egyptians in all sectors of society and play an active role in deepening the friendship between the two peoples and promoting the development of bilateral relations, said Wang.