Defense Minister Meets Malaysian and French GuestsDefense Minister Chi Haotian Thursday met respectively with Mohd Zahidi Zainuddin, chief of the Malaysian armed forces and Jean-Luc Delaunay, chief of staff of the French navy.Chi, also vice-chairman of the Central Military Commission and a State Councilor, said that China and Malaysia are good-neighborly countries, and the two peoples have kept close contact. The two concluded that their countries hold many similar if not identical views on a number of international issues. Chi said that in recent years the exchange of high-level visits between the two armed forces has been frequent, and bilateral cooperation in this regard covers all fields. He added that promoting friendly cooperation between two armed forces conforms to the fundamental interests of the two peoples, and benefits regional peace and stability. Chi expressed the belief that Zahidi's visit will promote the cooperative relations between the two armed forces. Chi also reaffirmed Chinese government's principled stance on the Taiwan issue, and said he was grateful for the Malaysian government's support of China on the issues of Taiwan, Tibet and human rights. Zahidi said that the two armies should learn from each other, and Malaysia will strengthen the cooperation and exchanges with Chinese People's Liberation Army. He said he hoped to see an early settlement of the Taiwan issue. In meeting with Jean-Luc Delaunayand his party, Chi said that China and France are both big countries in the world, adding that further developing relations between the two countries not only conforms to the fundamental interests of the two peoples, but also benefits peace and stability in the world. He noted that China attaches importance to developing relations with France, hoping that the bilateral ties will enjoy a long-term healthy and stable growth without any interruption. Chi said that he believes Delaunay's current visit to China will further push the relations between the armed forces, especially the naval forces of the two countries. He also briefed the guests on China's domestic situation, military building, and the Chinese government's principled position on the Taiwan issue. Delaunay said that France and China share similar views on many international issues, adding that the two sides should continue to develop cooperation in various fields. |
| People's Daily Online --- http://www.peopledaily.com.cn/english/ |