China, Mongolia to improve legislative cooperation

Top Chinese legislator Zhang Dejiang held talks with his Mongolian counterpart Zandaakhuu Enkhbold in Beijing on Monday and both pledged to boost legislative cooperation between the two countries.

Zhang, chairman of the Standing Committee of China's National People's Congress (NPC), hailed the development of bilateral relationship, highlighting frequent high-level interactions, increasing political trust and expanding practical cooperation.

China is highly appreciative of Mongolia's enduring support on affairs regarding Taiwan, Tibet and Xinjiang, Zhang said.

China also regards the relationship with Mongolia as a priority in China's neighborhood foreign policy, Zhang said, recalling Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to Mongolia in August, when the two countries upgraded their relations to an all-round strategic partnership.

Zhang said the first China-Russia-Mongolia trilateral summit held in September has also set up a new platform for cooperation between China and Mongolia.

China adheres to the principles of "amity, sincerity, mutual benefit and inclusiveness" when interacting with neighboring countries and will make efforts to make its own development more beneficial for Mongolia and other neighbors, said the legislator.

China stands ready to work together with Mongolia to bridge the two countries' development strategies as well as comparative advantages in pursuit of common prosperity, Zhang said.

Briefing Enkhbold on the fourth plenary session of the 18th Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, Zhang said the NPC plays an important role in advancing rule of law and is willing to increase exchanges with the State Great Hural of Mongolia on legislation-related issues.

The fourth plenary session of the 18th CPC Central Committee, concluding last week, focused on comprehensively advancing the rule of law in China.

On Monday, the NPC and the State Great Hural signed a Memorandum of Understanding on setting up a mechanism of regular exchanges between the two legislatures.

"I hope the two sides will take this opportunity to expand and deepen cooperation," Zhang said, calling for more exchanges of experience on governance, more political trust in each other and more people-to-people exchanges to lay a solid social foundation for the relationship between the two countries.

Enkhbold said the establishment of the all-round strategic partnership has opened a new chapter for the Mongolia-China relationship and the State Great Hural of Mongolia will increase exchanges with the Chinese side to make more contribution to the friendship and cooperation between the two countries.

Enkhbold is visiting China from Monday to Tuesday at Zhang's invitation.