On April 4, 2006, Chairman Wu Bangguo of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC) met with Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh in the Great Hall of the People.

Wu said that this year marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties and the successful meeting between the heads of state of the two countries is of great significance to in-depth development of bilateral relations. He said that the two peoples share a traditional friendship. Since the establishment of diplomatic ties, both sides have always shown mutual respect, reliance and support for each other, treated each other as equals and maintained communication and cooperation on international and regional issues. To further develop bilateral relations enjoys solid public opinion and political foundations. China would like to make joint efforts with Yemen to push bilateral relations to a new level.

Wu said that both countries are developing nations and faced with a heavy historical task of seeking peace, promoting development and improving people's livelihood. Both economies are highly complementary to each other, and cooperation in the areas of economy, trade and energy has a sound basis. To continue strengthening such cooperation conforms to fundamental interest of both sides. China would like to work with Yemen to give play to their respective advantages, further enrich cooperative forms, content and levels in the principle of mutual benefits and enhance large program cooperation in the areas of economy, trade, energy and telecommunications and among businesses so as to inject new vitality into bilateral relations.

After introducing China's developments, Wu emphasized that Chinese people are full of confidence about the development road chosen by themselves that is suitable to the national conditions and will unswervingly advance the socialist cause with Chinese characteristics. He indicated that the NPC of China would like to strengthen friendly exchanges with the Yemeni parliament, deepen exchanges and cooperation and make new contributions to building up mutual understanding and friendship between both peoples, promoting bilateral mutually beneficial cooperation and pushing for all-round and in-depth development of bilateral relations.

Saleh said that he conducted sound talks with President Hu Jintao on April 6 and both sides signed a couple of cooperative agreements. His current visit to China has scored a great success. Currently, bilateral relations have entered the best period since the establishment of diplomatic ties. Yemen admires the enormous achievements in China's reform, opening up and modernization drive and holds that much of China's development experience is worth learning from. Saleh indicated that Yemen gives top priority to developing relations with China and would like to strengthen friendly exchanges between governments, parliaments and parties of the two countries, expand mutually beneficial cooperation in the areas of economy, trade and energy and push bilateral relations to achieve new leaps forward.