On November 6, 2006, Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC) Wu Bangguo met respectively with Egyptian President Mohammed Hosni Mubarak, Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, South African President Thabo Mbeki and Mauritian Prime Minister Navin Ramgoolam at the Great Hall of the People.

Wu and the four leaders spoke highly of the just-concluded Beijing Summit of the Forum on the China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), agreeing that the great success of the summit is of great realistic and historic significance to deepening China-Africa friendly cooperation. They expressed willingness to actively implement the consensus reached at the summit to push for a new type of China-Africa strategic partnership.

When meeting with Mubarak, Wu said China and Egypt forged diplomatic ties 50 years ago, which not only marked a new page in bilateral relations, but also greatly boosted China's relations with Arabic, African and developing countries. Wu said the two countries enjoy close political relations and their economic and trade cooperation is also on the rise, adding that their relationship is exemplary to developing countries. "China values the traditional friendship with Egypt and hopes to improve bilateral cooperation in the fields of energy, telecommunications and infrastructure construction to push the China-Egypt strategic cooperation to a new level," Wu said. He said the NPC is ready to strengthen friendly exchanges with the Egyptian People's Assembly at all levels and in various areas for the benefit of both countries and their people.

Mubarak said China's rapid economic growth has created more opportunities for bilateral cooperation. He said as Egypt enjoys a favorable geographical location, the business circles of the two countries can enhance cooperation to contribute to the development of bilateral ties. He also hoped the two parliaments establish closer ties.

Meeting with Bouteflika, Wu said China-Algeria friendship is deeply rooted in the hearts of both peoples. Either in their struggle for national emancipation and independence or in their process of national development, the two countries have always shown mutual support, trust and assistance for each other. He noted they have established a profound friendship and set an example for South-South cooperation. Wu hoped both sides will further deepen cooperation in the political, economic, trade, cultural and other areas and enrich strategic cooperative ties. Wu said the NPC is ready to continue exchanges with the Algerian parliament to learn from each other and contribute to bilateral ties.

Bouteflika said the one-China policy is the basis of Algeria's China policy and his country firmly supports China's grand cause of reunification. Under the new historical circumstances, the two countries should strengthen cooperation and jointly respond to the challenges posed by globalization to add substantive content to the strategic cooperation. The enhanced inter-parliamentary exchanges are of great significance to building up mutual understanding and friendship between the two peoples.

China and South Africa share a traditional friendship and the Chinese people have been firmly standing with the South African people since the South Africans fought apartheid, said Wu, while meeting with South African President Thabo Mbeki. Currently, the strategic partnership between the two countries develops smoothly, which has not only brought concrete benefits to the two countries and peoples, but has also done good to the world peace, stability and development, Wu added. China attaches great importance to the relations with South Africa, and is ready to further strengthen friendly exchanges between the governments, parliaments and parties of the two countries. The NPC will strengthen substantive exchanges and cooperation with the South African parliament under the framework of regular exchange mechanism to consolidate the public basis of bilateral ties and provide legal guarantee for in-depth development of the ties, Wu stressed.

Mbeki said the China-South Africa relationship is a priority in South Africa's foreign ties and his country is looking forward to deepening cooperation with China in all fields. He is happy to see closer ties between the two parliaments as the inter-parliamentary relations can play an important role in the development of state-to-state relations.

Meeting with Ramgoolam, Wu said the Chinese people hold friendly feelings towards the Mauritian people. The relations between the two countries have been developing smoothly since they forged ties more than 30 years ago, Wu said. The two countries enjoy stable political ties, maintain close coordination and cooperation in international affairs, and have made remarkable achievements in collaboration in the fields of tourism, communications, labor, health, culture and education, Wu added. State-to-state relations cannot develop without the support and participation of the parliament. The National People's Congress (NPC) is willing to develop its ties with the Mauritian National Assembly and put new impetus to the development of bilateral relations, said Wu.

The Mauritian prime minister said the ties between the two countries have a time-honored history and his country appreciated China's assistance for Mauritius's national development and was ready to strengthen comprehensive cooperation with China.