BEIJING, Aug 5, 2003 (Xinhua) -- Chinese State Councilor Chen Zhili met here Tuesday with an Egyptian education delegation led by Egyptian Education Minister Hussein Kamel Bahaeddin.

The guests are here at the invitation of the Chinese Education Ministry to attend the seventh China-Egypt symposium on education.

Chen said China and Egypt had always been on good terms, and the establishment of strategic and cooperative relations oriented to the 21st century in 1999 had ushered their relations to a new phase.

She hoped the two countries would enjoy broader and more fruitful exchanges and cooperation in education, and congratulated the success of the education symposium.

Bahaeddin expressed admiration for China’s achievements in education reform and development, and Egypt’s willingness to strengthen exchanges and cooperation with China in education.