Chinese President Xi Jinping (R) meets with a delegation from Myanmar's National League for Democracy (NLD), headed by NLD chair Aung San Suu Kyi, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, June 11, 2015. Photo: Xinhua

 
President Xi Jinping met with a delegation from Myanmar's National League for Democracy (NLD), headed by NLD chair Aung San Suu Kyi, on Thursday afternoon at the Great Hall of the People, Beijing.

"China and Myanmar are close, friendly neighbors," said the Chinese president, who is also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee.

The traditional friendship between China and Myanmar has not changed for 65 years, since the establishment of diplomatic relations, and practical cooperation has yielded fruitful results, said Xi.

"[China and Myanmar] have become a community of common interests and common destiny sharing weal and woe," Xi said.

He proposed that the two sides continue to work together, and honor the bilateral friendship and cooperation.

"China always treats the China-Myanmar relationship from a strategic and long-term perspective," Xi said, adding that China supports Myanmar's efforts to safeguard sovereignty independence and territorial integrity, respects Myanmar's choice for development path on its own, and backs the process of reconciliation in Myanmar.

He said China will firmly cement the friendship with Myanmar and boost cooperation.

"We hope and believe that the Myanmar side will also maintain a consistent stance on China-Myanmar relationship and be committed to advancing friendly ties, no matter how its domestic situation changes," said the president.

Suu Kyi echoed Xi saying friendly ties between Myanmar and China as neighbors were of great importance.

Xi said the CPC and the NLD have made rapid progress in developing their ties and enjoyed increasingly close cooperation since both sides started contact.

"I hope this visit will help deepen your understanding on China and the CPC, which will contribute to our mutual understanding and trust, and lay a better foundation for the party-to-party and state-to-state relationship," Xi said.

Suu Kyi, on her part, said the NLD attached high importance to the friendship between Myanmar and China. The party admired China's remarkable developmental achievements under the leadership of the CPC, and hoped to further strengthen the two parties' relationship through the visit.

She hoped the visit could also push forward friendly ties between the two peoples.

Xi also called on Suu Kyi and the NLD to continue to play a constructive role in guiding the Myanmar people regarding their view on China-Myanmar cooperation in an unbiased and rational way, and instil more positive energy into the bilateral ties.

Invited by the CPC, Suu Kyi is on her first China visit from Wednesday to Sunday.

Wang Jiarui, vice chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and head of the International Department of the CPC Central Committee, met Suu Kyi on Wednesday afternoon.

State Councilor Yang Jiechi and Shen Yueyue, vice chairperson of the National People's Congress Standing Committee and president of the All-China Women's Federation, also met Suu Kyi on Thursday.