China's NPC maintains links with 190 global parliaments: spokesperson

(ECNS) -- China’s National People’s Congress(NPC)'s foreign engagement constitutes a vital component of the country’s overall diplomacy, said Lou Qinjian, spokesperson for the third session of the 14th NPC, at a press conference on Tuesday held in Beijing ahead of the opening of its annual session.

Currently, the NPC maintains connections and exchanges with parliaments of 190 countries. It has established 26 international exchange mechanisms and 143 bilateral friendship groups, Lou said.

It holds membership or observer status in over 20 multilateral parliamentary organizations including the Inter-Parliamentary Union, he added.