Li Zhanshu, chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC), holds talks with President of the Cyprus House of Representatives Demetris Syllouris at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Nov. 6, 2019. (Xinhua/Liu Weibing)

BEIJING -- Top legislator Li Zhanshu on Wednesday held talks with President of the Cyprus House of Representatives Demetris Syllouris at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.

Li, chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC), welcomed Syllouris to pay an official visit to China and attend the second China International Import Expo (CIIE).

China and Cyprus, with time-honored history and civilization, respect each other's political systems, development paths and cultural traditions, Li said.

He noted that the two countries share the same task of safeguarding sovereignty, security and development interests, uphold the same principle of safeguarding multilateralism and free trade, and maintain the same position of resolving differences through dialogue.

The CIIE is a grand event to invite all countries to introduce their products with comparative advantage and expand their presence in the Chinese market. President Xi Jinping's keynote speech at the opening ceremony of the CIIE sent a signal once again that China will open wider to the world, Li said.

China is willing to work with Cyprus to advance mutually beneficial cooperation featuring the joint building of the Belt and Road and deepen people-to-people exchanges to score new achievements for bilateral cooperation, he said.

The NPC is willing to implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state, strengthen friendly exchanges with the Cypriot parliament, and carry out more exchanges in legislation and experiences in state governance, so as to provide legal guarantees to all-round pragmatic cooperation between the two countries, Li said.

Syllouris said China's opening-up will bring more development opportunities to all the countries in the world, including Cyprus.

Cyprus treats China as a valuable strategic partner and is willing to advance bilateral pragmatic cooperation in all areas, he said, adding that the Cypriot parliament is willing to deepen friendly exchanges with the NPC to make new contributions to bilateral ties.

Li Zhanshu, chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC), holds talks with President of the Cyprus House of Representatives Demetris Syllouris at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Nov. 6, 2019. (Xinhua/Liu Weibing)