BEIJING, May 12 (Xinhua) -- Top legislators of China and Guinea Bissau met here on Monday, vowing to step up the inter-parliamentary cooperation in an effort to boost bilateral relations.

    Wu Bangguo, Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC), met with visiting Speaker of the Parliament of Guinea Bissau Francisco Benante at the Great Hall of People in Beijing.

    Wu said China appreciated Guinea Bissau's adherence to the one-China policy and respected its people's choice for the path of the national development.

    Wu said China valued its ties with Guinea Bissau, expressing his hope that the two nations could further their cooperation in fields such as agriculture, fishery and public health.

    He said relations between the two parliaments were very important components of bilateral ties, calling on the two parliaments to work closer by cementing exchanges and cooperation between special committees, friendship groups, and other executive departments.

    Wu promised China would continue to closely coordinate with African countries to substantially implement the important consensus reached at the Beijing Summit of the China-Africa Forum in November 2006.

    Benante voiced his thanks to China for its support for Guinea Bissau during the country's fight for the independence as well as present economic development.

    Guinea Bissau valued relations with China and would unswervingly uphold the one-China policy, he told Wu.

    He also stressed that his parliament agreed to intensify the friendly exchanges with the NPC and play a bridging role to promote friendship between the two peoples.