NAIROBI, Nov. 1 -- China's top legislator H.E. Mr. Wu Bangguo, who's on an official goodwill visit to Kenya, met here with Kenyan Vice President H.E. Mr. Moody Awori on Monday morning, exchanging views on bilateral relations and international and regional issues of common concern.

Awori expressed, on behalf of President Mwai Kibaki who is abroad on an official visit, his welcome to Wu's visit, saying that the two countries' friendship have come a long way, and developed cooperation in political, economical, cultural fields and so on.

He said he is satisfied with the success of Wu's visit which isdefinitely sure to improve the bilateral relations to a high level.

The vice president said his government highly appreciated the long-term support and aid given by China to Kenya's economic and social construction though China itself is also a member of the developing community.

Wu, chairman of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, passed on Chinese President Hu Jintao's best wishes and invitation to visit China next year to Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki.

He said he and Kenyan National Assembly Speaker Francis Kaparo reached wide range understanding on further developing bilateral relations by increasing exchanges between the two legislative bodies during their talk on Saturday.

Wu spoke highly of the new government led by President Kibaki in its effort to push forward Sino-Kenyan relations in all sectorsand this traditional friendship is being given a new vitality.

He said China pays great attention to developing Sino-Kenyan friendly and cooperative relations and put Kenya as a trustworthy friend and an important partner with broad common interests which have won support by both peoples.

He noted that China and Kenya, both being among the developing community with common interests, should strengthen their traditional and friendly relations to cooperate and support each other in a way to be beneficial to the two peoples.

Wu said China is ready to maintain the impetus of exchanges at top level as leaders with economic and trade cooperation high on their agenda in order to deepen their cooperation in political, economic and social sectors, which in turn will boost stability inbilateral relationship development.

He said the two countries have made achievements in a lot of projects of aid and cooperation and China will enhance its aid to African friends as China's economy is increasingly strengthened.

Wu said China likes to further explore new ways of boosting cooperation with Kenya, and the Chinese government will encourage powerful enterprises to invest and explore market in Africa, especially in Kenya.

He said the Kenyan people, led by President Kibaki's governmentsworn in two years ago, have made great achievements as the government devoted major efforts to enhancing political and economic reforms, national unity to better social welfare and people's living conditions.

He said China is happy to witness Kenya's active participation in regional and international issues and its important role in African peace and stability.

On Sino-African relations, Wu said China has paid great attention to develop friendly relations with developing countries and has set it as the base of its foreign policy as the strategic position of Sino-African relations has been lifted up in accordance with the changes of the international situation.

He said China, under the leadership of the new generation, whose leaders like President Hu Jintao, Premier Wen Jiabao and Vice President Zeng Qinghong have already paid visits respectivelyto Africa, is ready to deepen the Sino-African relations.

Wu said at the second ministerial meeting of the Sino-Africa Cooperation Forum held last December in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, China announced a series of policies to help African countries in their economic and social development, and is now implementing thefollowing actions.

He expected the forum, which has become a new platform for Sino-African collective negotiations and practical cooperation, will beopen in 2006 for the third time to play an important role in developing Sino-African relations.

Wu also reaffirmed China's thanks for Kenya's support to China on the Taiwan and human rights issues.

In response, Awori reaffirmed Kenya's firm stand on the "one China" policy.

He said Kenya welcomes more Chinese enterprises to invest and develop in Kenya within the framework of the Sino-Africa Forum andhis government will try its best to provide a friendly and efficient environment.

After the meeting, the two leaders attended a signing ceremony of an economic and technological cooperation agreement between thetwo governments.

At noon, Wu, accompanied by his wife Zhang Ruizhen and Vice Chairman of the NPC Standing Committee Raidi, attended a state banquet in his honor given by Awori before departure for Zimbabwe in the afternoon.

Kenya is the first leg of Wu's four-nation African tour, which will also take him to Zimbabwe, Zambia and Nigeria.

It is the first visit to Africa by China's top legislator sincethe country's new leadership took office in early 2003.