The sixth round of Sino-Russian military consultations was held
Monday in Beijing.
Xiong Guangkai, deputy chief of the general staff of the Chinese
People's Liberation Army, and Yury Baluyevsky, first deputy chief
of general staff of Russia, jointly presided over the
consultations.
The two sides exchanged views on the regional and international
security situation, major international issues, anti-terror
question, cooperation between the two armed forces and other issues
of common concern. The two sides reached broad consensus.
They expressed satisfaction with the existing friendly cooperation
of the two armed forces and held that the potential for further
cooperation should be fully explored.
The two sides agreed to translate the spirit of developing
good-neighborly, friendly and mutually beneficial cooperation into
concrete action, a principle reiterated by President Jiang Zemin
and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin during their meeting in
Beijing earlier this month.
They agreed to maintain high-level exchanges, enhance cooperation
between the two militaries, to constantly raise the cooperation
standards, deepen, strengthen and widen pragmatic cooperation and
to further substantialize the bilateral strategic cooperative
partnership.
The consultative mechanism between the two general staffs works
well, they noted, and it plays a positive role in improving the
mutual understanding and support and in strengthening the friendly
cooperative ties.
The seventh round of consultations will be held in Moscow next
year, in line with the consensus reached by both sides.
PLA Chief of General Staff Meets with Baluyevsky
Liang Guanglie, chief of the General Staff of the Chinese People's
Liberation Army (PLA), met Monday with Yury Baluyevsky.
Liang, also a member of the Central Military Commission, said the
strategic cooperative partnership between China and Russia has been
consolidated through joint efforts.
The meeting between Chinese President Jiang Zemin and Russian
President Vladimir Putin this December in Beijing injected new
vitality into bilateral ties, said Liang, adding that the two sides
are in the process of implementing the China-Russia good-neighborly
treaty of friendship and cooperation which expresses the principle
that the two peoples should remain friends forever.
Liang said the PLA values its friendship with the Russian army and
added that the two armies have strengthened mutual trust and
friendship, undertaken comprehensive and broad cooperation and made
fruitful achievements in recent years.
The consultations between the two general staffs are important and
will enhance the quality of bilateral military exchanges and
cooperation, said Liang, expressing his belief that bilateral
military ties will maintain their strong momentum.
Baluyevsky said the joint statement issued by the two presidents
this December expressed the principle that the two peoples should
be friends forever and never become enemies, and the two general
staffs have decided to implement in concrete terms the spirit of
being "good neighbors, good friends and good partners" forever.
Russia adheres to the one-China policy and supports China's
reunification, he said.
Baluyevsky said the task of combating terrorism is important and
complex for Russia and China, and said he hoped to strengthen
cooperation with China in this field.
(People's Daily December 17, 2002)