China's top legislature is willing to uphold the spirit of China-Africa friendship and cooperation, and is ready to work with African counterparts to realize true democracy, according to a virtual seminar between China and 22 Francophone African countries.

China held a virtual seminar on Tuesday with 22 Francophone African countries under the theme "Exploration and Practice of Democracy in the Legislatures of China and Africa," Xinhua News Agency reported. The seminar successfully concluded its two-day meeting on Wednesday.

Ding Zhongli, Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of China's National People's Congress (NPC), addressed the two-day seminar's opening ceremony. He said that the spirit of China-Africa friendship and cooperation has forged an unbreakable brotherhood and built a partnership of full coordination between China and Africa. It will also open up bright prospects for a China-Africa community with a shared future in the new era, he said.

The NPC is willing to uphold the spirit of China-Africa friendship and cooperation, communicate frankly with the African side, learn from each other, build consensus and gather strength, and jointly explore the road of democracy in line with their own national conditions, said Ding, adding that the NPC is ready to work with African legislatures to contribute to achieving true and good democracy, continuously improving the welfare of people of all countries and promoting the democratization of international relations.

The first item of the agenda was an online visit to grassroots legislative consultation stations in Yiwu, East China's Zhejiang Province, which was set up by the Legislative Affairs Commission of the NPC Standing Committee.

When the Standing Committee of the NPC publicly solicited opinions on the draft law against food waste in early 2021, grassroots legislative consultation stations in Yiwu collected many opinions and suggestions from local residents, especially catering operators, which were eventually incorporated and adopted into the law, according to one of the stories shared in the event.

It is a vivid demonstration of the whole process of people's democracy and a concrete demonstration that "Chinese-style democracy is workable and effective in China," the People's Daily said earlier in a report about Yiwu's grassroots legislative consultation stations.

The participants of the NPC also further explained and shared with African parliamentarians the whole process of people's democracy, a democratic expression with Chinese characteristics, from the legislative perspective to constitutional supervision and the system of people's congresses, the NPC told the Global Times.