Myanmar parliament speaker leaves for China on official goodwill visit

Speaker of Myanmar's parliamentary House of Representatives (Lower House) U Shwe Mann left Yangon Wednesday for Beijing on a five-day official goodwill visit to China. Leading a parliamentary delegation, U Shwe Mann is making the trip as a guest of Wu Bangguo, chairman of the Standing Committee of the China National People's Congress. Shwe Mann told Xinhua on the eve of the visit that his trip is aimed at promoting the existing friendly and cooperative relations between Myanmar and China. Besides Beijing, Shwe Mann will also visit Tianjin. China and Myanmar have been cooperating in the legislative sector and carry out exchange between the two legislative bodies. In September 2011, a Chinese congress delegation, led by Vice Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of China National People 's Congress (NPC) Zheng Silin, visited Myanmar and was received by Shwe Mann. The two legislators highlighted the long standing friendship between the two peoples and reaffirmed their commitment toward strengthening bilateral friendly ties.