BEIJING, Sept. 19 (Xinhua) -- The top trade unions of China and seven east European countries on Wednesday have agreed to step up cooperation and cement relations between their workers.

"The All-China Federation of Trade Unions (ACFTU) are ready to increase exchanges with trade unions of east European countries, as one way to boosting ties," ACFTU President Wang Zhaoguo said in a meeting with trade union leaders from seven east European countries.

The trade union leaders from Albania, Bulgaria, Hungaria, Montenegro, Poland, Romania and Serbia were here for a seminar sponsored by ACFTU on workers' legal rights held in Beijing.

Wang, also vice chairman of the Standing Committee of the 10th National People's Congress, China's top legislature, said the trade unions should work together more closely to cope with the challenges posed by economic globalization.

Danilo Popovic, president of the Confederation of Trade Unions of Montenegro, said on behalf of the seven countries' trade union leaders that their confederations would like to work with the ACFTU to better safeguard workers' rights.

Formally set up on May 1, 1925, the ACFTU is the world's largest union in terms of membership, with 150 million members and1.174 million branches by July 2006.