国内英语新闻:Chinese premier, top legislator meet Togolese president on cooperation

BEIJING, May 31 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said Tuesday that China is ready to enhance mutually beneficial pragmatic cooperation with Togo and Africa to achieve common development.

Li told visiting Togolese President Faure Gnassingbe that the two countries should give play to their respective advantages to actively push forward cooperation in transportation infrastructure, port construction and operation, mining industry and other fields.

Both countries can work together in the building of Africa's high-speed rails, expressway network, regional aviation and industrialization of the continent to seek win-win results, according to Li.

Invited by Chinese President Xi Jinping, the Togolese president is on a state visit to China since Sunday. Talks between the two heads of state on Monday were fruitful, said the premier.

Togo-China friendship has been tested by times and becomes even stronger, Gnassingbe said, noting that China's initiative to help the country and Africa's development is taking real shape.

Togo is willing to seize opportunities to play well its advantages, improve business environment for bilateral cooperation in infrastructure, port logistics, mineral resources, poverty reduction and other areas, he said.

Later in the day, top legislator Zhang Dejiang met with Gnassingbe.

Zhang, chairman of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, said the NPC is ready to enhance ties with the National Assembly of Togo in strengthening exchanges of experience of national development and creating favorable legal conditions for China-Togo cooperation in various fields.

Gnassingbe said Togo is willing to learn from China's experience in development and strengthen collaboration with China in implementing the outcomes of the summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) last December in South Africa's Johannesburg.