The Communist Party of China (CPC) has made "satisfying progress" in the contacts with foreign political parties in the past year, Wang Jiarui, head of the International Department of the CPC Central Committee, said here Monday.

The 16th National Congress of the CPC convened in November 2002put forward the idea that the CPC would develop exchanges and cooperation with foreign political parties and organizations in the principles of independence, equality, mutual respect and non-interference in each other's internal affairs, said Wang.

He said the CPC's inter-party contacts had contributed much to China's overall diplomacy and construction of a well-off society as well as consolidation of the CPC's ruling party position under the guidance of the important thought of the "Three Represents".

The CPC had deepened, widened and diversified its cooperative ties with political parties in foreign countries. The CPC's inter-party contacts made new contributions to domestic development, striving for a sound international and neighboring environment and seeking chances for China's renaissance.

Despite the SARS impact in the first half of the year, the CPC's external exchanges, particularly high-level inter-party exchanges, remained active, said Wang, adding that the exchanges included the visits to China by Nong Duc Manh, general secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam; Khamtay Siphandone, president of the Central Committee of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party and Lao president; the Japanese Social Democratic Party, the Democratic Party of Japan, and the three ruling parties in Japan to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Peace and Friendship between the two countries.

The Millennium Democratic Party from the Republic of Korea and the Communist Party of India (Marxist) visited China during this period.

The high-level exchanges consolidated and improved mutual trust and friendship between China and neighboring countries, supported China in its fight against SARS and played an important role in removing the panic in neighboring countries for China's SARS, said Wang.

He went on to say that China's new leadership valued the inter-party contacts and had dispatched delegations to foreign countries in return for the visits to China. During the visits, the CPC leaders exchanged views with foreign leaders on inter-party relations, bilateral relations and international and regional issues of common concern, and publicized the CPC's internal and external policies and stances on international issues of importance, said Wang.

More than 20 delegations on average visited China every month.

The International Department of the CPC Central Committee had made efforts to exchange opinions on ruling a party or a country, and to seek opportunities for bilateral cooperation in economy and trade, science and technology, culture and justice, on the other hand, said Wang.

He said the CPC had also organized forces to study some countries' development strategies, mechanism-transformation and lessons and experience on how to strengthen ruling party position, which led to many beneficial results for reference.

The CPC party selectively participated in some multilateral party contacts and established contacts with the international and regional organizations of political parties, including Socialist International, which would help promote the CPC's status in the world and enlarge China's influence in international affairs, said Wang.

The CPC had established all-round and multi-channel ties with over 400 parties and organizations in more than 140 countries and regions, said Wang.

(Xinhua News Agency December 16, 2003)