China's top legislator Wu Bangguo arrives here on Saturday for an official good-will visit to Maldives with an aim to step up cooperation between the two parliaments.

Wu Bangguo (2nd R), chairman of Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC), China's top legislature, is greeted by his Maldivian counterpart Abdulla Shahid (4th R) at the airport upon his arrival in Male, capital of Maldives, May 28, 2011. Wu Bangguo arrived here on Saturday for an official good-will visit to Maldives with an aim to step up cooperation between the two parliaments. [Lan Hongguang/Xinhua]

Wu, chairman of Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC), China's top legislature, was greeted by his Maldivian counterpart Abdulla Shahid at the airport.

In a written speech delivered upon his arrival, Wu praised the relations between China and the Maldives over the 39 years since the two countries established diplomatic relations, noting that such a bilateral relationship have become a model for the one between big and small nations.

He also highlighted that mutual political trust has been enhanced and fruitful achievement scored in a wide range of fields for pragmatic cooperation, saying that China is committed to working close with the Maldives to push the bilateral relations to a higher level.

During his two-day visit, Wu is expected to hold talks with Shahid and meet with the Maldivian President Mohamed Nasheed.

The Maldives is the last leg of Wu's four-nation trip to Africa and Asia which already took him to Namibia, Angola and South Africa.