NAIROBI, Oct. 30 (Xinhuanet) -- China attaches great importance to environmental protection and sustainable development, and has tightened legislation to this end, top legislator Wu Bangguo said in Nairobi Saturday.

    He stressed economic growth should come with thoroughness, harmony and sustainability, saying China, as a developing nation, faces many challenges in environment protection, and settlement of the environment problems is a great boost to the world's environment.

    China is willing to further participate in and contribute to international preservation cooperation, said Wu Bangguo, chairman of the Standing Committee of the Chinese National People's Congress (NPC), in a meeting Saturday with Shafqat Kakakhel, deputy executive director of the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), and Daniel Biau, deputy executive director of the United Nations Human Settlement Program (UN-HABITAT), in Nairobi's UN headquarters.

    Speaking highly of UNEP's role in promoting international cooperation in solving global environmental problems, Wu said he appreciated the UN-HABITAT's contribution in improving the human settlement development worldwide.

    Wu said China is ready for further friendly cooperation with the two UN agencies, noting he admires the achievements of the UN-HABITAT in improving human settlement around the globe.

    However, the chairman noted China is facing a regional imbalance in human settlement development, and calls for UN-HABITAT's more support in infrastructure and housing construction.

    In the past 25 years, he said, China's urban living space per person has increased from 6.7 sq meters to 22.8 sq meters, with the rural living space rising from 8.1 sq meters to 27.2 sq meters.

    The UN-HABITAT will hold a world urban forum in Nanjing in east China's Jiangsu province. Wu said China is willing to enhance coordination and cooperation with UN-HABITAT and make the forum a success.

    Kakakhel and Biau highly appreciated China's achievements in environmental protection and human settlement in the process of economic boost, noting the Chinese government has worked hard to reduce the negative impact brought about by the industrialization.

    China has summed up a lot of useful experiences and set up an example for the international community, especially for the developing nations, they said, adding the two UN agencies will further strengthen exchanges and cooperation with the Chinese side and contribute more to the environmental protection and human settlement.

    After the meeting, Wu also visited a local tea and coffee farm in the suburb of Nairobi.

    Wu arrived in this capital city of Kenya Friday afternoon for an official good-will visit and is expected to leave for Zimbabwe on Nov. 1 to continue his four-nation African tour that will also include Zambia and Nigeria. Enditem