China's top legislator Li Peng met with Estonian parliament speaker Toomas Savi here Thursday and exchanged views with him on bilateral ties and regional and international affairs.

During the meeting between the two legislative leaders, Savi said that since the establishment of diplomatic relations between Estonia and China in 1991, the exchange of visits between government and parliament officials and between business people of the two countries increased rapidly.

The joint statement signed by Estonian President Lennart Meri and Chinese President Jiang Zemin in Beijing in 1994 when Meri was visiting China formed the basis for further developing bilateral ties, he said.

Li Peng noted that Estonia is playing a more and more important role in affairs of the Baltic region since its independence.

He also said China respects the choice made by the Estonian people in trying to join the European Union. He reiterated China's position that it is up to the people of a country to decide on what kind of a social system to adopt and what kind of an approach or model of development to choose.

The Chinese leader said China believes that a strong Europe is conducive to the formation of a multi-polarized world and, therefore, is conducive to world peace and stability.

The two leaders agreed with each other that further efforts should be made to increase exchanges and expand cooperation between the legislative bodies, namely the National People's Congress of China and the parliament of Estonia.

Li arrived here Thursday afternoon on a three-day official visit.

(Xinhua 09/07/2000)