Visiting Chinese top legislator Li Peng met Russian State Duma Speaker Gennady Seleznyov on Tuesday on bilateral ties and other topics of common concern.

Li, chairman of the Standing Committee of the Chinese National People's Congress (NPC), expressed satisfaction with the increasingly frequent contacts between the NPC and the State Duma, or the Russian lower house of parliament.

The Chinese leader arrived in Moscow Monday on a nine-day official visit. Besides Moscow, he will also travel to Novosibirsk and Vladivostock.

Seleznyov welcomed Li Peng and expressed his belief that the visit will further promote bilateral ties and enhance exchanges and cooperation between the two legislative bodies.

The speaker noted that Russia and China hold identical views on some major international issues: both oppose hegemonism and the practice of one country making indiscreet remarks or criticisms about other countries.

Li said that China and Russia share many common interests and have had fruitful cooperation in recent years in such areas as human rights, arms control, and the reform of the United Nations.

Following their talks, Li and Seleznyov attended the signing ceremony of an agreement on cooperation between the general affairs departments of the NPC Standing Committee and the State Duma.

(Xinhua 09/13/2000)