Defense minister says China hopes to boost military cooperation with SCO members

Chinese Defense Minister Liang Guanglie (front) addresses the press during the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) defense ministers' meeting in Astana, Kazakhstan, March 17, 2011. The one-day SCO defense ministers' meeting passed a joint declaration and 2012-2013 partnership program of SCO countries. (Xinhua/Zhao Yu)

ASTANA, March 17 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Defense Minister Liang Guanglie said here Thursday that China is willing to promote military cooperation with the other five member countries of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.

Liang, who is also China's State Councilor, expressed the sentiment when addressing the one-day SCO defense ministers' meeting.

Liang said the SCO, since its establishment in Shanghai a decade ago, has covered an uncommon road and acts as a staunch force to maintain regional security and stability and boost common development and prosperity of the SCO member countries.

The SCO has continuously deepened practical cooperation in the defense and security fields, boosted mutual trust between its members in security affairs, and played an important role in combating the "three forces" of terrorism, extremism and separatism, he said.

Liang said the Chinese military would like to unite more closely with the militaries of the other SCO members to substantially implement various cooperation plans and measures and to unswervingly push forward defense and security cooperation in an effective and sustainable way.

The defense ministers' meeting adopted a communique on the meeting and approved a 2012-2013 two-year plan about cooperation between the militaries of the SCO members.

The meeting was attended by defense ministers or their deputies of the six SCO member states, namely China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.