国内英语新闻:China's top legislator meets Sri Lankan president

BEIJING, March 26 (Xinhua) -- Chinese top legislator Zhang Dejiang on Thursday met with visiting Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena on the strengthening of ties.

Zhang, chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC), China's top legislature, reviewed the traditional friendship between China and Sri Lanka, saying the two countries had withstood the tests of time and had become trustworthy partners and friends.

The legislative bodies of both countries have the responsibility and obligation to carry forward and develop China-Sri Lanka friendship, Zhang said.

He pledged the NPC would work more closely with the Sri Lanka parliament to carry forward the consensus of the two presidents and step up legislation cooperation to provide legal guarantees for pragmatic cooperation.

Earlier Thursday, President Xi Jinping held talks with Sirisena and witnessed the signing of cooperation deals on infrastructure, health and other sectors.

Sirisena, who is on his first state visit to China since taking office in January, said his country would like to deepen cooperation with China in all sectors, strengthen legislative ties and seek stronger ties with China.

After Beijing, Sirisena will fly to south China's Hainan province to attend the 2015 Boao Forum for Asia.?