President Robert Mugabe said in Harare Sunday that Zimbabwe will continue to explore new areas of cooperation with China as part of efforts to consolidate the strong ties that exist between the two countries. 

"We have been allies, partners and excellent friends for a long time starting from the days of our liberation struggle," Mugabe said when he met with the visiting delegation from the Communist Party of China at State House.

"The relationship was strengthened even much more after our independence in 1980. Now we are looking at several socio-economic ways and dimensions in which we could further consolidate our relations in the context of very strong areas of cooperation that we have built up for ourselves. We should continue in that direction in future," said Mugabe.

Leader of the CPC delegation Tan Jialin said after the meeting with President Mugabe that there was room for further improvement of relations between China and Zimbabwe.

"We had a good discussion with President Mugabe," said Tan who is the assistant minister in the International Department of the CPC Central Committee.

"We hope that in future we will continue to make great efforts to develop bilateral relations. We also feel that the economic relations between our two countries should be further promoted," he said.

Tan said that the two countries need to exploit opportunities existing in one another's country to derive mutual benefits.

"Zimbabwe has good resources and abundant natural resources and China has an advantage for development. The two peoples should get great benefits from this cooperation and we have full confidence in this regard," he added.

On Friday, the Chinese delegation met with National Chairman of the ruling Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front John Nkomo, Secretary for Administration Didymus Mutasa and Deputy Secretary for External Relations Stan Mudenge.

(Xinhua News Agency June 27, 2005)