Reception held to mark 60th founding anniversary of FAO, MND

A reception is held to mark the 60th founding anniversary of the Foreign Affairs Office (FAO), Ministry of National Defense (MND) of People s Republic of China, in Beijing on March 11. At the reception more than 120 military attach s and deputy military attach s from over 70 countries listened to the briefing on the glorious history of Chinese military diplomacy made by Maj.Gen. Qian Lihua, director of the FAO, and watched a movie featuring the panorama of Chinese military diplomacy over the past six decades.

According to Qian Lihua, China maintains military contact with over 150 countries. Every year, around 400 Chinese and foreign military delegations exchange visits. Such exchanges are carried out in a range of fields and on strategic, operational and tactical levels, including military doctrine, operational command, training and education, equipment and technology, etc. The full-swing, multi-level and wide-range military diplomacy situation has taken shape.

The PLA regularly holds defense and security consultations with, among other countries, the United States, Russia, Germany, United Kingdom and Pakistan, which helps to enhance strategic mutual trust with the world s major powers, and maintains international strategic stability.

We have properly settled land border disputes with most neighbors, and signed agreements with neighboring countries on military confidence-building measures and reduction of military forces in border areas. We engage in effective border defense cooperation, in the forms of joint border patrols and the like.

As mil-to-mil exchanges and cooperation between China and developing countries deepen, the PLA has provided over numerous training opportunities for military students from those countries. The PLA also provides aid to foreign militaries to the best of its capabilities.

China also actively facilitates security dialogue and cooperation under the framework of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) and ASEAN plus China, Japan and ROK (10+3), making great contribution to harmony and stability in the region.

The PLA persistently fulfils international security responsibilities and obligations: Up to date, China has contributed an accumulative total of over 17,000 person/times to 20 UN peacekeeping missions.

In the past decade, the PLA sent earthquake relief teams and medical teams to foreign countries for 6 times and raised and delivered emergency humanitarian aid for 26 times.

Since we sent to the Gulf of Aden the first taskforce at the end of 2008, 20 Chinese naval vessels in 8 groups have provided escort to over 3,000 ships, and successfully rescued 33 Chinese and foreign ships from the pirates.

Last year, the PLA Navy hospital ship delivered humanitarian medical services to over 10,000 people in DJibouti, Kenya, Tanzania, the Seychelles and Bangladesh.

Qian Lihua noted that China has so far issued 6 Defense White Papers, joined in the UN Weapons Registration Mechanism and the Military Budget Transparency Mechanism, annually submitted national report on the implementation of the Convention of Certain Conventional Weapons (CCW), and voluntarily accepted the verification of international arms control institutions. In addition, the Ministry of National Defense has established a news release system and organized press conferences to actively respond to international concerns.

China readily invited foreign military delegations to visit the PLA troops and academies of various arms and services. In recent years, foreign military observers and military attach s in China have been invited to view around ten Chinese military exercises and the PLA has conducted more than 40 land, maritime and air military exercises or training jointly with over 20 countries.

Finally, Qian Lihua said the military forces were created to fight, yet our shared mission is to safeguard peace. The PLA stands ready to work with the foreign colleagues to strengthen mutual confidence through exchanges, expand common understanding through dialogue, facilitate progress by learning from each other, maintain security through cooperation, and jointly create a better future for all.