Zeng Qinghong (C), member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and Chinese vice president, poses for a photo with representatives of the South African Communist Party and the African National Congress of South Africa attending the third International Conference of Asian Political Parties as observers, in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing Sept. 4, 2004. (Xinhua Photo/Li Xueren)

    BEIJING, Sept. 4 (Xinhuanet) -- China is willing to make joint efforts with South Africa to promote continuous development of the friendly cooperative relations between China and South Africa, said Chinese Vice President Zeng Qinghong here Saturday.

    Zeng made the remarks when meeting with a delegation from African National Congress of South Africa (ANCSA), led by Yvette Lillian Myakayaka-Manzini, and delegation from South African Communist Party (SACP), led by Ben Martins, .

    The two delegations are in China to attend the Third International Conference of Asian Political Parties (ICAPP) as observers.

    Zeng, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party (CPC) of China, expressed welcome for the two delegations to observe the third ICAPP.

    He said that at present, China-South Africa relations develop smoothly, and the bilateral friendly exchanges and cooperation in various fields are continuously deepened.

    China is satisfied with such progress, Zeng said, who visited South Africa in this June, adding that China is willing to work with South Africa for new growth of bilateral friendly cooperative relations.

    Zeng also spoke positively of the party relations between the two sides, expressing his hope that the existing good relations between CPC and ANCSA and SACP can be continuously expanded and deepened, so as to promote bilateral relations between the two countries.

    Myakayaka-Manzini and Martins expressed congratulations on the success of the third ICAPP. They said the CPC actively promotes multilateral cooperative among political parties and is committed to world peace and development, thus win respect from the international community.

    Major political parties of South Africa had established close contacts with CPC even before the independence of the country, they said. In recent years, the party exchanges between the two countries continuously deepened, which has provided broad prospects for bilateral mutual-beneficial cooperation in various fields, they said.

    They hoped the two countries will continually strengthen their friendly relations.

    More than 80 political parties or organizations from 34 Asian countries are gathered at the three-day ICAPP, which opened Friday morning in Beijing. Enditem