Defense Minister Cao Gangchuan met Giulio Fraticelli, chief of the Italian Army, in Beijing Monday morning.  

Cao, also vice chairman of China's Central Military Commission and a state councilor, accentuated the friendly ties and cooperation between the two countries and armies during the meeting.

"The Chinese army is willing to make joint efforts with the Italian counterpart to carry out more active, extensive cooperation and to further advance the ties in the principle of mutual respect, equality and mutual benefit," he said.

Fraticelli also expressed the wish to push the relationship between the two armies, saying that he expected more cooperation in fields such as military training and medicine.

(Xinhua News Agency June 7, 2005)