Wu Bangguo, chairman of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, left here Saturday to attend the fourth annual session of the Association of Asian Parliaments for Peace (AAPP) in Manila.

Wu will also pay an official good-will visit to the Philippines, the Republic of Korea (ROK) and Japan, at the invitation the Philippines' House of Representatives Speaker Jose de Venecia and Senate President Franklin Drilon, ROK National Assembly Speaker Park Kwan-yong, and Japanese House of Representatives Speaker Tamisuke Watanuki and House of Councilors President Hiroyuki Kurata.

Wu's entourage includes Gu Xiulian, vice chairwoman of the NPC Standing Committee.

This is Wu's first foreign visit since he became the NPC Standing Committee chairman in March this year.

(Xinhua News Agency August 30, 2003)