Chen Bingde, chief of the General Staff of the Chinese People's Liberation Army(PLA), met in Beijing on Friday with military guests from Brunei, Cameroon, Laos and Thailand who are attending a military exercise by the PLA in northern China.

China has developed sound bilateral relations with Brunei, Cameroon, Laos and Thailand, respectively. Meanwhile, two-way military exchanges and cooperation have increased gradually, Chen said.

"We would like to continuously promote the friendly relations with the armed forces of Brunei, Cameroon, Laos and Thailand, deepen strategic mutual trust and enhance understanding so as to achieve common progress," Chen added.

The guests, including Haji Awang Halbi Bin Haji MD Yussof, Commander of the Brunei Armed Forces, Rene Claude Meka, Chief of General Staff of Armed Forces of Cameroon, Sanyahak Phomvihane, chief of the General Staff of People's Army of Laos, and Songkitti Jaggabatara, Supreme Commander of Royal Thai Armed Forces, agreed to further cement and develop military exchanges and cooperation with China so as to strengthen bilateral relations.

The military exercise by the PLA in the northern Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region on Thursday, was witnessed by more than 110 military delegates and observers from 36 countries.

Ma Xiaotian, China's deputy Chief of the General Staff of the PLA, Chen Xiaogong, assistant chief to the General Staff of the PLA, among others, attended the meeting.

(Xinhua News Agency September 27, 2008)