BRASILIA - China's top legislator Wu Bangguo urged China and Brazil on Wednesday to develop a closer relationship during his talks with Brazil's President of Federal Senate Renan Calheiros.

China's top legislator Wu Bangguo (L) holds talks with Renan Calheiros (R), President of Federal Senate of Brazil during their meeting in Brasilia of Brazil, Aug. 30, 2006. [Xinhua]

Wu said China and Brazil enjoy good relations over the past 32 years and there remains great potential for them to intensify cooperation.

"First of all, both China and Brazil attach great importance to the balanced development of economy and society," he said, adding that the two countries could borrow each other's experiences in reaching such targets.

Secondly, Wu said both China and Brazil are burgeoning markets and their economies are highly complementary, which brings great space for further economic and trade cooperation.

Thirdly, Wu said as developing nations, China and Brazil share broad common interests and had same or similar views on many key international and regional issues.

He said he hopes the two countries will handle bilateral ties from a strategic perspective, keep high-level visits, improve political trust and intensify pragmatic cooperation for the interests of their peoples and harmony and prosperity of the world.

On parliamentary exchanges, Wu said despite the different social systems, China and Brazil are both faced with the target of improving democratic legal systems.

He said China's NPC hopes to enhance ties with Brazil's Federal Senate, to exchange experience in lawmaking and supervision and improve coordination and cooperation in international and regional parliamentary organizations.

Calheiros said the Brazilian Federal Senate is ready to improve exchanges and cooperation with the Chinese NPC to jointly promote the comprehensive development of bilateral ties.

He also expressed his belief that Wu's visit will have significant impact on the development of China-Brazil strategic partnership.

Before meeting with Calheiros, Wu had held talks with Aldo Rebelo, president of Brazil's Chamber of Deputies. He is expected to meet with Brazilian President Luiz Inacio and Vice President Jose Alencar later on Wednesday.

Brazil is the first leg of Wu's three-nation tour in Latin-America. He will also visit Uruguay and Chile.