PLA takes big strides in cooperation

The Chinese military has made big strides over the past five years in international cooperation and exchange, a delegate from the Ministry of National Defense said on Sunday.

Senior Colonel Liu Fang, a staff officer at the ministry's Office for International Military Cooperation and also a delegate to the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, said that in the past five years, the People's Liberation Army has strengthened its relations with major militaries around the world, developed comprehensive defense collaborations with neighboring countries and actively took part in multilateral security dialogues and cooperation.

"Our mutual understanding and trust with foreign armed forces keep deepening. ... We continue to improve our mechanism on dialogue and trust-building with foreign militaries," she said while meeting the media on the sidelines of the ongoing congress.

"So far, we've established strategic negotiation mechanisms on defense affairs with 28 nations and international organizations, which has boosted strategic mutual trust and policy exchange."

Liu said the increased number of communication channels and trust-building measures are helping to reduce security risks, better manage crises and avoid misunderstanding and misjudgment.

Exchanges among front units have become diverse as more port calls have been conducted by Chinese and foreign navies, and more joint exercises have been carried out on a regular basis, she added.

The PLA has been a major contributor to global security and regional stability and plays a leading role in peacekeeping, disaster relief and humanitarian missions outside China's borders, Liu said.

Apart from Liu, four other delegates from the PLA were also invited to introduce their experiences in the past five years and take questions from journalists on Sunday.

zhaolei@chinadaily.com.cn