Defense Minister Chi Haotian will start an official goodwill visit next Monday to Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia and Nepal, the Chinese Ministry of National Defense announced Beijing Friday.

Chi, also vice-chairman of the Central Military Commission and a state councilor, will be visiting the four nations at the invitation of Defense Minister Choummali Sayasone of Laos, Defense Minister Pham Van Tra of Vietnam, Co-Ministers of Defense Tea Banh and Prince Sisowath Sereyrath of Cambodia, and Defense Minister Mahesh Acharya of Nepal.

(Xinhua 02/02/2001)