Jia Qinglin, chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), met in Beijing Tuesday with a delegation from the Mexican Senate.

Jia said China-Mexico ties had developed smoothly over the past 33 years and frequent high-level visits and fruitful cooperation in various fields had built bilateral political trust.

"China values its relations with Mexico," Jia said.

He said he hoped that the CPPCC and the Mexican Senate would improve exchanges and cooperation to jointly promote the China-Mexico strategic partnership and mutual understanding and friendship between the two peoples.

Dulce Maria Sauri Riancho, the delegation head, said China and Mexico are both developing countries and are confronted with similar challenges in developing their economies and eliminating poverty.

She said the Mexican Senate was interested in China's experience of maintaining fast economic growth and successful integration into the world economy and hoped that the delegation's visit would promote the two countries' economic and trade cooperation so as to bring concrete benefits to the people of both countries.

Last May Jia visited Mexico at the invitation of the Mexican Senate.

(Xinhua News Agency November 2, 2005)