On the morning of May 25 local time, Wu Bangguo, chairman of the Standing Committee of China's National People's Congress (NPC), who is on an official goodwill visit to Spain, met with Spain's Senate President Pio Garcia-Escudero in the Spanish Senate building.

Wu said China and Spain have learnt from each other in the cause of national development and the two peoples have forged a profound friendship. Wu said he had held separate meetings earlier with Spanish King Juan Carlos, Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy and Congress President Jesus Posada and attended the signing ceremony of business cooperation agreements between the two countries. During these meetings or talks, the leaders of both countries reached a high degree of consensus on issues they talked about and showed strong aspiration to further promote political mutual trust, enhance pragmatic cooperation and increase people-to-people exchanges, said Wu. Both sides have expressed hope to jointly tackle financial crises and advance common development through closer cooperation, he said. It not only reflects the high level of bilateral relations, but also points out the direction for the future development of China-Spain relations. "At present, China-Spain relationship is facing new opportunities. The two sides should lift their comprehensive cooperation to a higher level as the two countries are to mark the 40th anniversary of diplomatic ties," said Wu.

Garcia-Escudero, for his part, spoke highly of the substantial development of Spain-China cooperation in all areas. He said Spain deemed China as one of its important partners. The Spanish people will always remember the help that China rendered when Spain was most in need, he noted, saying his country would work with China to well hold the celebrations marking the 40th anniversary of diplomatic ties and promote bilateral pragmatic cooperation in such fields as trade, education, sports and tourism so as to push the ties to a new level. The Senate president said that Spain, with its unique influence in Latin America, is willing to act as a bridge to promote friendly exchanges and cooperation between China and the countries in the region.

Although the two countries have different political systems, with China and Spain adopting a unicameral parliamentary system and a bicameral system respectively, they are both faced with the tasks of developing economy, improving people's lives and promoting democracy and the legal system, said Wu. China's NPC is willing to strengthen friendly exchanges and cooperation with the Spanish Congress of Deputies and Senate, meet the new demand of the development of bilateral relations, tap the advantages of MPs in extensive contacts, promote pragmatic cooperation in all areas and push forward the party-to-party, sub-national and non-governmental friendly exchanges so that parliamentary exchanges will become a positive force for development of China-Spain relations. Echoing Wu’s views, Garcia-Escudero said the Spanish Senate, as chamber of territorial representation, has extensive contacts with localities and is willing to keep closer friendly exchanges with China's National People's Congress on the existing basis and contribute to the development of Spain-China relations.

After the meeting, Wu Bangguo also made a special trip to inspect Huawei Technologies Spain and cordially visited Chinese and foreign employees working there.

Vice Chairman and Secretary-General of the NPC Standing Committee Li Jianguo and other Chinese accompanying officials attended the above activities.