Chinese Defense Minister Chi Haotian met Monday with visiting Defense Minister of Belarus Leonid Semeonovich Maltsev.
Chi, vice chairman of the Central Military Commission and State Councilor, extended warm welcome to Maltsev. Chi said that China and Belarus are friendly countries and as high officials of the two countries exchange visits frequently, bilateral cooperation in political, economic, scientific and cultural fields has kept increasing.
Chi expressed gratitude for the Belarus government's support to China on the Taiwan, Tibet and human rights issues.
He said the maintainence and development of long-term friendly and cooperative relations between the two armies will not only satisfy the wishes of the two peoples and be in the interests of the two countries, but will also promote peace and stability in the region and in the world.
The Chinese army will, along with the Belarus army, make further efforts to develop multi-level and multi-area friendly cooperative relations between the two sides, Chi said.
Chi also briefed the guests on China's attitude towards current international situation, its defense policy and the present construction of the army.
Maltsev said that developing cooperative and friendly relations with China is one of the priorities in Belarus foreign policy.
Noting that both countries take the same position on many important international and regional issues, Maltsev said that Belarus is willing to contribute more to continuing sustainable and stable relations between the two countries and the two armies.