President Hu Jintao and Sam Nujoma, head of Namibia's ruling South West African People's Organization (SWAPO), agreed on Tuesday that China and Namibia should intensify bilateral cooperation for the benefit of the two peoples.

 

Hu met with Nujoma, also former Namibian president, in Windhoek on Tuesday morning before he wrapped up his two-day state visit to the southwestern African country.

 

Describing Nujoma as "an old friend of the Chinese people," Hu spoke highly of Nujoma's contribution in developing China-Namibia relations, and relations between SWAPO and the Communist Party of China (CPC).

 

Hu, also General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee, said Nujoma had pioneered and was an eyewitness in developing the friendship and cooperation between SWAPO and the CPC.

 

Hu said over the years the CPC had supported the SWAPO and the Namibian people's struggle for national independence, which later laid firm foundation for the good relations between the two countries.

 

Making a high evaluation of the important role of China-Namibia party-to-party relations for the development of bilateral relations, Hu said that the CPC is ready to further increase exchanges and cooperation with SWAPO, in an effort to promote the friendly cooperation between the two countries.

 

Hu suggested the two parties to maintain high-level contacts to promote mutual understanding and trust, and to learn from each other's experience in capacity building for better governance of the countries.

 

Nujoma said SWAPO committed itself to the further development of friendly relations between the two parties and the two countries.

 

Namibia hoped to expand mutually-beneficial cooperation with China in various fields such as trade and investment, which will be important to economic and social development of the country, Nujoma said.

 

During the meeting, Hu also briefed Nujoma of the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), which was held last November in Beijing, as well as China's efforts to take forward the results of the summit.

 

Nujoma spoke highly of the summit, saying it would play a key role in strengthening China-Africa friendship and mutually beneficial cooperation, and in benefiting economic and social development of African countries.

 

Hu left Namibia on Tuesday for South Africa, the sixth stop of his eight-nation tour to Africa.

 

(Xinhua News Agency February 7, 2007)