Liu Qi, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, met in Beijing on Monday with visiting Israeli Deputy Prime Minister Tzipi Livni.

Hailing the progress of China-Israel relations in the past 15 years, Liu said the two countries kept increased exchanges of high-level visits, and strengthened cooperation in various areas including technology and culture.

Beijing and Tel Aviv have conducted sound cooperation in water conservation and the utilization of new energy such as solar energy, said Liu, also secretary of the CPC Beijing Municipal Committee.

He also briefed Livni about the just-concluded 17th CPC National Congress.

Livni, also Israeli foreign minister, said the increasing cooperation between Beijing and Tel Aviv would actively promote the deepening of Israel-China relations.

Regarding the shortage of water resource as a difficult problem faced by the two countries, Livni called on the two sides to beef up cooperation in water conservation.

Invited by Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi, Livni is here on a three-day official visit to China.

(Xinhua News Agency October 30, 2007)