YANGON, May 8 (Xinhua) -- A 12-member senior-level delegation of Myanmar's National League for Democracy (NLD) party left here for Kunming to pay the first ever 10-day study visit to four cities of China.

After Kunming, the delegation will proceed to Dehong, Fuzhou and Beijing.

At the invitation of International Department of Central Committee of Communist Party of China (CPC), the Aung San Suu Kyi- led NLD party sent the study delegation to China, headed by U Nyi Pu who is a Central Executive Committee (CEC) member of the party.

U Nyi Pu is accompanied by other CEC members, parliamentarians as well as region and state party members.

The NLD party delegation was seen off by U Tin Oo, Patron of NLD and Chinese Counsellor Lu Zhi at the Yangon International Airport.

The party delegation's China visit came after Chinese Ambassador Yang Houlan met Aung San Suu Kyi personally in Yangon on April 22.

The pair exchanged views on the country's reform process and development, agreeing to push the people-to-people exchange for mutually-beneficial cooperation, according to Chinese Embassy website.

The NLD party delegation's visit to China will enhance party-to- party relationship as well as people-to-people understanding, U Tin Oo told Xinhua, adding that the move will also support the development of Myanmar-China friendly relations and exchanges between the two sides.

Meanwhile, in April this year, another political party delegation comprising of 12 senior members from All Mon Regional Democracy Party (AMRDP), National Unity Party (NUP), National Democracy Force (NDF), Shan Nationality Democracy Party (SNDP) and Rakhine Nationality Democracy Party (RNDP) also visited China.

Dealing with its foreign policy, the NLD will practice an active and independent policy in relations with global countries and work for close cooperation with them politically, according to NLD party congress held in March this year.

NLD, established in September 1988 after the previous military take-over, regained legal party registration on Jan. 5, 2012 following Aung San Suu Kyi's final release from house restriction on Nov. 13, 2010, six days after the general election.

NLD's party membership has developed to 1.3 million as disclosed by the congress.

In the April 1, 2012 by-elections, NLD overwhelmingly won 43 out of 45 open parliamentary seats, of which 37, including Suu Kyi, with the House of Representatives (Lower House), 4 with the House of Nationalities (Upper House) and 2 with the region or state parliament.

Aung San Suu Kyi was named chairperson of the Committee for Rule of Law and Tranquility of the House of Representatives on Aug. 7, 2012.