Francisco Benante, speaker of the National Assembly of Guinea Bissau, is to visit China from May 6 to 13.

The National Committee of China's legislature, the National People Congress (NPC), announced on Friday that Benante will head a parliamentary delegation from the West Africa country to Beijing for an official goodwill visit at the invitation of Wu Bangguo, chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress.

China and Guinea Bissau first established diplomatic links in 1974. After an eight-year break in the 1990s, the official links were resumed in 1998. Since then, bilateral ties and cooperation have been growing.

Guinea Bissau President Joao Bernardo Vieira visited China in 2006.

The legislatures of the two countries have maintained regular contact. Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly Satu Camara visited China in 2004.

(Xinhua News Agency May 3, 2008)