China's leaders met with visiting Vanuatu Prime Minister Nipake Edward Natapei on Friday, building on the close relations between the two countries.

Premier Wen Jiabao meets with Vanuatu Prime Minister Nipake Edward Natapei

Natapei said he values his nation's ties with China and is grateful for China's support and assistance.

During separate meetings with President Hu Jintao, Premier Wen Jiabao and top legislator Wu Bangguo, Natapei reiterated his country's support for the one-China policy.

Natapei arrived in China on Monday on a working visit at the invitation of Wen. He visited Shanghai and Nanning before his arrival in Beijing.

Vanuatu is a group of more than 80 islands in the Southwest Pacific, northeast of New Caledonia and northwest of Fiji.

On bilateral relations, Wen put forward three suggestions:

* Promote high-level exchanges between governments, parliaments and parties;

* Expand economic and trade ties and mutually beneficial co-operation;

* Enhance co-operation within regional organizations in the South Pacific to maintain peace and stability in the region.

Wen said China considers it important to develop relations with countries in the South Pacific and backs their efforts to safeguard sovereignty and territorial integrity and improve their economies and regional co-operation.

China also supports these countries' advocacy of a non-nuclear zone in the region and the protection of resource in the South Pacific, Wen said.

Natapei praised the friendship between his country and China since diplomatic relations were established 20 years ago, saying they had delivered concrete benefits.

In an early meeting with Chinese Minister of Commerce Lu Fuyuan, Natapei said his country strongly hopes to expand economic and technological co-operation with China.

Natapei said Vanuatu also hopes to learn from China's farming skills and expertise, noting that the planting of cash crops and exploitation of marsh gas are Vanuatu's main interest.

The two countries signed four co-operative agreements on education and economics as part of Natapei's visit.

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