LISBON -- Chinese legislature and Portuguese parliament should enhance cooperation to keep up with the general pace of bilateral ties, visiting top legislator Zhang Dejiang said on Wednesday.

Zhang made the remarks during meeting with his Portuguese counterpart Eduardo Ferro Rodrigues.

Zhang said that China's National People's Congress (NPC) is willing to join hands with the Portuguese parliament to elevate cooperation between the legislative bodies of the two countries and push forward the China-Portugal comprehensive strategic partnership.

He also called for reinforcing friendly exchanges between the two countries at all levels and expanding people-to-people exchanges.

As Portugal is an important destination country for Chinese investment in Europe, Zhang expressed the hope that Portugal would ensure legitimate rights of Chinese companies and investors in Portugal.

For his part, Rodrigues said that Zhang's visit, the first by a top legislator to Portugal, has great significance in elevating cooperation between legislative bodies of the two countries and in deepening bilateral ties.

Rodrigues said Portugal is willing to seize the visit as an opportunity to strengthen cooperation between special committees and friendly groups of the two countries to promote the development of bilateral friendly relations.

Before the meeting, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on cooperation between China's NPC and the Portuguese parliament was inked by Zhang and Rodrigues.