Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Monday, April 21, 2003
Chinese, Indian Defense Ministers Hold Talks
Chinese Defense Minister Cao Gangchuan said Monday the armed forces of China and India have enhanced mutual trust and understanding and also maintained stability in the border area, thanks to exchanges of visits over the last few years.
Chinese Defense Minister Cao Gangchuan said Monday the armed forces of China and India have enhanced mutual trust and understanding and also maintained stability in the border area, thanks to exchanges of visits over the last few years.
During talks with Indian Defense Minister George Fernandes, Cao said the people of the two neighboring countries live in harmony, and their exchanges and cooperation in various fields have developed smoothly.
With similar national situation, the two countries share a wide range of interests in the world and have identical and similar views on many international issues, said Cao, who is also vice-chairman of the Central Military Commission and state councilor.
The two nations have established and developed a constructive and cooperative friendship on the basis of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence. It conforms to the fundamental interests of the two nations to live in harmony and strengthen cooperation.
China is willing to work with India for regional peace and stability, Cao said, adding that the Chinese military is willing to further the exchanges for a long-term stable and friendly cooperative relationship based on mutual trust.
Fernandes said that India and China a good neighbors, as members of the international anti-terrorism alliance, the two nations have cooperated well.
As the two countries confronted the same challenges in national security, the two militaries should further cooperation and exchanges, he said.
The officers and men of Indian and Chinese frontier forces have had frequent exchanges and established friendship on the basis of mutual understanding, said Fernandes, who believed in a bright future for India-China relations.