China congratulates Kyrgyzstan on its election of a new parliament speaker and prime minister, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu said Thursday.

Akhmatbek Keldibekov, leader of the Ata Zhurt party, was elected speaker of the Kyrgyzstan parliament on Dec. 17.

Almazbek Atambayev, leader of the Social Democrat Party, was named the nation's prime minister after garnering 92 of 114 votes on the same day.

Jiang said China respects the choice of the Kyrgyz people and supports efforts to enhance political stability and economic growth in Kyrgyzstan.

China hopes to work with Kyrgyzstan to comprehensively boost cooperation and mutual benefit between the two countries, she said.

China hopes to promote the long-term, healthy and steady development of bilateral ties in accordance with the spirit of and principles of the Sino-Kyrgyz treaty of good neighborliness, she added.