Chinese military official meets Russian defense chief

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2009-11-25 19:54

MOSCOW: Vice chairman of China's Central Military Commission Guo Boxiong reached broad consensus with Russian Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov here Wednesday on furthering cooperation between Chinese and Russian armed forces.

Guo said this year marked the 60th anniversary of the establishment of China-Russia diplomatic ties and the China-Russia strategic partnership of cooperation had kept its momentum of dynamic development.

Leaders of the two countries met several times this year and reached broad consensus on efforts to deepen such a partnership, said Guo.

Thanks to intensive attention from both leaders, the relationship between Chinese and Russian armed forces -- as one major part of their bilateral relations -- had been continuously enriched and enhanced in recent years, he said.

Guo said both armies have maintained frequent high-level exchanges, with their cooperation in various fields being pragmatic and thorough.

The Peace Mission-2009 joint anti-terror military exercises in July had once more demonstrated to the world the close collaboration between China and Russia on anti-terrorism, as well as their determination to face up to new threats and challenges together, he said.

Against the backdrop of complicated international situations, Guo noted, the reinforcement of interactions and cooperation between their armed forces was not only in keeping with the fundamental interests of China and Russia and their two peoples, but also conducive to safeguarding peace and stability of the region and the world.

Serdyukov agreed with Guo, saying the two countries and the two armies had kept close interactions and timely communication with each other on major global and regional issues.

Each had also supported the other on major issues concerning core interests, which reflected the advanced development of their strategic partnership of cooperation, he noted.

Russia was ready to join hands with China in pushing forward their friendly and cooperative links in all fields, he said.

Guo is leading a Chinese government delegation on a five-day visit to Russia, which started Monday.