Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe said on Thursday China had become Zimbabwe's top priority cooperation partner.

China has been a true friend of Zimbabwe, said the president at the State House when meeting with a Chinese official delegation led by Wang Dongming, deputy head of the Organization Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China.

"We shall continue to build our relationship and work together on how we can transform our socio-economic systems for the benefit of both sides," Mugabe said.

Wang said that the Chinese government and the Communist Party of China attach great importance to the friendship between the two countries and peoples, hoping that Zimbabwe would score greater achievements in the country's development.

(Xinhua News Agency July 20, 2007)