China is ready to take the 55th anniversary of bilateral relations with Albania as an opportunity to expand relations with Albania in various areas, said Wu Bangguo, chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, during his meeting with Servet Pellumbi, speaker of the Albanian People's Assembly, in Beijing Monday.

Albania was one of the first countries that established full diplomatic relations with China, said Wu, who is also member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China.

Wu said China and Albania have maintained close relations though great changes have taken place in the world and the two countries as well. High-level visits between the two countries have helped increase mutual political understanding.

China-Albania trade reached US$32.23 million last year, up 71.7 percent from a year ago. Although the figure was quite small compared with China's total foreign trade of US$850 billion, it has been growing for years.

China attaches great importance to relations with eastern and central European nations. Chinese President Hu Jintao visited Poland, Hungary and Romania last June.

Hu said in a speech in Romania in June that China will promote its relations with eastern and central European countries "in the spirit of mutual respect and pragmatic cooperation."

Parliamentary relations between China and Albania have also been active. Top legislators of the two countries have visited each other frequently over the last years.

"China's National People's Congress is willing to increase friendly contact with the People's Assembly of Albania at different levels, and contribute to the growth of relations between the two countries," Wu said.

Pellumbi said there are many reasons and favorable conditions for Albania and China to consolidate their relationship. He said Albania wishes to enhance all-round cooperation with China, particularly in the economic area.

He stressed that the parliament and government of Albania always recognize there is only one China in the world, and this stance will not change.

Pellumbi will also visit Dalian in northeast China's Liaoning Province and Shanghai before wrapping up his visit to China on July 10.

(Xinhua News Agency July 6, 2004)