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Chinese, Turkish Chiefs of General Staff Hold Talks
Fu Quanyou, Chief of the General Staff of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA), held talks Thursday with his Turkish counterpart Huseyin Kivrikoglu.
The two generals agreed that the relationship between China and Turkey and that between the PLA and the Turkish armed forces have seen satisfactory progress.
While extending a warm welcome to Kivrikoglu, Fu said that the friendship between the two nations has a long history.
China and Turkey are both developing countries, and both play an important role in international and regional affairs and hold the same or similar viewpoints on many major international and regional issues, Fu said.
Fu, also a member of the Central Military Commission, said that the bilateral ties have witnessed smooth development since the two established diplomatic relations in 1971.
Last April Chinese President Jiang Zemin paid a successful state visit to Turkey, adding a vital chapter to the history of bilateral friendly exchanges, Fu pointed out.
He said that China appreciates Turkey's position of adhering to the one-China principle, stressing that China is willing to continue promoting friendly cooperative relations with Turkey and join hands with Turkey to contribute to safeguarding world peace and stability.
Fu also briefed the Turkish guests on his viewpoints on the current international situation, China's diplomatic and defence policies, economic and military construction as well as its position on the Taiwan issue.
Kivrikoglu said China and Turkey are located in the east and west of Asia respectively, and both are important nations in terms of geographical location.
However, the long distance between the two does not alienate friendly exchanges between them, he stressed.
He pointed out that both countries play a vital role in safeguarding world peace and stability, and Turkey appreciates the positive role China plays in resolving regional conflicts across the world.
This year is the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Turkey and China, he said, expressing the belief that his current visit will promote bilateral ties.
He reiterated that Turkey will continue to adhere to the one-China principle.
Prior to the talks, Fu presided over a grand welcoming ceremony for Kivrikoglu.
Kivrikoglu is here for a four-day friendly visit at Fu's invitation.
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