China and Russia agreed on Tuesday to further boost cooperation in the defense field.

 

Defense Minister Cao Gangchuan said in a meeting with his Russian counterpart Sergei Ivanov that promotion of mutual trust and cooperation in the defense field meets the fundamental interests of the two peoples, and benefits peace and stability of the region and the world at large.

 

Cao, also vice chairman of the Central Military Commission and state councilor, told Ivanov that China and Russia share same or similar views on many important international and regional issues. The two countries have scored marked progress in the fields of trade, science and technology and culture.

 

"There exist no obstacle for the two countries to boost the Sino-Russian strategic partnership of cooperation," he said.

 

In regard to bilateral cooperation in defense field, Cao said the two armed forces have carried out pragmatic cooperation in recent years through strategic consultation, personnel training and exchanges between academies. The defense cooperation is quite satisfactory, he noted.

 

Ivanov, who is in Beijing to attend a defense ministers' meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization on Wednesday, acknowledged during the meeting with Cao that the Russia-China strategic partnership of cooperation proceeded smoothly. The two countries share the same stance on major issues such as maintaining national sovereignty, defending territorial integrity and fighting against the "three forces" of separatism, terrorism and extremism, he said.

 

Russia values its cooperation and exchanges with China in various fields, Ivanov said, adding that such cooperation has resulted in remarkable progress.

 

Referring to the joint military exercise held by Chinese and Russian troops on August 18-25, 2005, Ivanov said it not only symbolizes the further development of bilateral strategic partnership of cooperation, but also helps increase exchanges between the two armed forces in defense field.

 

Russia is ready to work with China to lift the defense cooperation between the two sides to a higher level, he noted.

 

(Xinhua News Agency April 26, 2006)