WINDHOEK, May 21 (Xinhua) -- Visiting top Chinese legislator Wu Bangguo has lauded the China-Africa friendship and efforts to promote cooperation between China and Namibia.

Chairman Wu Bangguo shakes hands with Namibian President Pohamba

During his current visit to Namibia, Wu held talks with Namibian National Assembly Speaker Theo-Ben Gurirab, Namibian President Hifikepunye Pohamba and Namibian National Council Chairman Asser Kapere, and delivered a speech at the China-Africa Young Leaders Forum.

CHINA-AFRICA FRIENDSHIP A TREND OF HISTORY

At the opening ceremony of the China-Africa Young Leaders Forum, Wu said the friendship between China and Africa is a trend of history and a shared wish of the people.

To enhance the China-Africa traditional friendship, increase practical cooperation and promote common development is the shared aspiration of the 2.3 billion Chinese and African people, including young Chinese and Africans, he said.

China and Africa are good brothers that treat each other as equals, said Wu.

"We were both victims of imperialist and colonialist aggression and oppression. We both hate to see the big, strong and rich bullying the small, weak and poor. We both cherish the value of equality and mutual respect, which has enabled our friendship to be carried forward," he said.

"The Chinese government was the first to recognize the new independent states in Africa and to extend support and assistance when African countries needed them most," Wu said.

China has provided Africa with accumulative assistance of all kinds worth 93 billion yuan (14.3 billion U.S. dollars), helped build over 900 projects for more than 50 African countries, canceled 325 debts worth 20.3 billion yuan (3.2 billion dollars) for 35 African countries and trained 35,000 specialists, he said.

Listing various examples that demonstrate the friendship and the win-win cooperation between China and Africa, Wu stressed that young people of China and Africa are playing an important and irreplaceable role in advancing the China-Africa friendship.

COOPERATION EYED TO FURTHER PARTNERSHIP

During talks with President Pohamba, Wu highlighted bilateral cooperation in further developing the partnership with Namibia.

Wu said the two countries have reaped good harvests in cooperation in the fields of politics, trade, culture, education, public health and culture in recent years, which has already set a model for countries engaged in South-South cooperation.

He also stressed mutual understanding and support on issues concerning each other's core interests.

To bring bilateral economic and trade cooperation onto a new height, Wu put forward a three-point proposal concerning the importation of the husbandry and aquatic products, resources and mining as well as the infrastructure construction.

Wu said China will work with Namibia to push their partnership to a higher level.

Pohamba welcomed Wu's visit, the first by a Chinese top legislator, and spoke highly of China's long-standing support for Namibia's national liberation and development.

Namibia will develop long-term and strategic cooperation in a much broader domain with China and welcomes more Chinese firms to invest in the country, the Namibian president said.

On China-Africa relations, the two leaders agreed that the two sides need to work closer under the framework of the Forum of China-Africa Cooperation to boost political mutual trust, substantial and pragmatic cooperation on trade and humanitarian exchanges, especially those among the young generations, so as to further enrich a new China-Africa partnership.

Wu, chairman of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, China's top legislature, arrived late Thursday in Namibia, the first leg of his 12-day four-nation tour of Africa and Asia.