Visiting President Hu Jintao on Sunday hailed the all-weather friendship between China and Zambia, pledging to remain a good friend, partner and brother to the southern African country.

 

Hu, who was on his state visit to Zambia, met with Amusaa Mwanamwambwa, speaker of the National Assembly Of Zambia (NAZ), and Kenneth Kaunda, former Zambian president and an old friend of China.

 

In his meeting with Mwanamwambwa, Hu said that communication between the legislative bodies of both countries constituted an important part of China-Zambia relations.

 

China's National People's Congress (NPC) and the NAZ have maintained contact and contributed to the cooperation in economy, agriculture, education, health, culture and other areas.

 

"China is willing to enhance such exchanges and cooperation for deepening the bilateral ties," Hu said.

 

Mwanamwambwa highlighted China's assistance and support, which has played an important role in the construction and development in Zambia. The NAZ also hoped to strengthen exchanges with the NPC for advancing bilateral ties, he said.

 

When Hu met with Kaunda, he quoted a Chinese proverb -- "Those who drink water will never forget the people who dig the well" -- commending Kaunda's contribution to the long-standing friendship.

 

Kaunda is one of the few surviving African leaders who had met with several generations of Chinese leaders. During his tenure, China assisted Zambia and Tanzania to build Tazara, a railway linking the land-locked Zambia with a port in Tanzania in the 1970s.

 

After reviewing the development path of Sino-African and Sino-Zambian relations, Kaunda expressed gratitude for China's strategic support for Zambia's national development.

 

He also highly spoke of the measures announced by Hu on Saturday in the official talks with Zambian President Levy Patrick Mwanawasa.

 

China initiated a package of measures to boost cooperation with Zambia during Hu's trip, including the setup of an economic and trade zone, the construction of a modern stadium, two rural schools and an anti-malaria center, as well as more government-funded scholarship for Zambian students to China.

 

Hu's trip to Zambia, the fourth leg of his eight-nation African tour, will last through Monday.

 

He has already visited Cameroon, Liberia, Sudan and will also tour Namibia, South Africa, Mozambique and Seychelles.

 

(Xinhua News Agency February 5, 2007)