BEIJING -- Senior Communist Party of China (CPC) leader Yu Zhengsheng met with visiting Venezuelan Foreign Minister Elias Jaua Milano on Saturday, pledging to further promote cooperation between China and Venezuela.

Yu, a Standing Committee member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, applauded the robust growth of bilateral cooperation in fields such as energy, finance, agriculture and infrastructure, noting that the cooperation serves not only the fundamental interests of the two peoples, but also the peace, stability and prosperity of the world.

China greatly values its ties with Venezuela and will work together with the Venezuelan side to bring the bilateral strategic partnership to a higher level, Yu said.

He also relayed Chinese President Hu Jintao and General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee Xi Jinping's greetings to Venezuela's ailing President Hugo Chavez, wishing him a speedy recovery.

Echoing Yu's views on bilateral relations, Jaua said his country regards its relationship with China as one of the most important.

Through the direct support of the two countries' leaders, Venezuela-China cooperation has yielded remarkable results in various fields, and political mutual trust has been further increased, Jaua noted.

He also expressed his appreciation for China's long-term support for Venezuela's national development, vowing to continue to actively work to push forward the Venezuela-China strategic partnership.

Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi also met with Jaua on Saturday.