On February 10, Chinese President Hu Jintao held talks with his Seychellois counterpart James Alix Michel in Victoria, capital of the Seychelles, exchanging views on bilateral ties and other major issues of common concern.

Hu flew into Victoria on February 9, kicking off his state visit to the country. In a written statement released at the airport upon his arrival, Hu said he believed that this visit will surely help strengthen both sides' traditional friendship, expand bilateral friendly cooperation and promote common development.

Since the establishment of diplomatic ties in 1976, the relations between the two countries have been developing smoothly. Recent years have witnessed rapid growth of bilateral trade and effective cooperation between the two countries in the areas of tourism, fishery, culture, education and health. Last November, President Michel paid a state visit to China and attended the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation.

The Seychelles is the last leg of Hu's current eight-nation Africa tour, which has already taken him to Cameroon, Liberia, Sudan, Zambia, Namibia, South Africa and Mozambique.