Chinese Defense Minister Cao Gangchuan met visiting Greek Air Force Chief of Staff Papanikolaou in Beijing Tuesday.

Cao, also vice chairman of the Central Military Commission and state councilor, said that China and Greece witnessed a smooth development of bilateral ties since the two nations forged diplomatic relations over 30 years ago.

The two nations share identical or similar views on many significant international issues and established full-ranged cooperation in the political, economic, cultural and military arena, Cao noted.

He said China attaches importance to Greece's role in European and world affairs and is willing to push forward the cooperation with Greece in various fields.

Cao appreciated Greece's "one-China" stance and expressed his hope that exchange and cooperation between the two armies, especially that between the two air forces, could be further improved in the new century.

Greece and China have forged close cooperation when dealing with world affairs, and Greece upholds same principle with China in many important international issues, Papanikolaou said, expressing the hope that the military exchange and mutual visits of two nation's military high officials could be strengthened.

(Xinhua News Agency June 9, 2004)