The Communist Party of China (CPC) is ready to further expand friendly exchanges with the LAKAS Christian-Muslim Democrats (CMD) Party of the Philippines, a senior CPC official said here Tuesday.

 

Wang Jiarui, head of the International Department of the CPC Central Committee, made the remarks during his meeting with visiting CMD President Jose de Venecia and his party.

 

Wang spoke positively of the progress of Sino-Philippine ties, acknowledging that the two countries enjoy a sound momentum for developing bilateral ties.

 

"The CPC is willing to go on reinforcing friendly exchanges with the CMD, and produce more fruitful outcome of Sino-Philippine mutual-beneficial cooperation in the new period," he said.

 

Venecia, who is also speaker of the House of Representatives of the Philippine parliament, said many Philippine political parties have kept friendly exchanges with the CPC.

 

"To further develop friendly relations with China is a consensus reached by major Philippine political parties," he added.

 

Venecia said his China visit aims to further deepen bilateral mutual-beneficial cooperation through party exchanges.

 

The two sides also had an exchange of views on facilitating bilateral economic and trade cooperation.

 

(Xinhua News Agency June 28, 2006)