BEIJING, Feb. 29 -- "In recent years, under the common concern of Chinese President Xi Jinping and leaders of African countries, China-Africa military relations have grown deeper," said Senior Colonel Zhang Xiaogang, spokesperson for China's Ministry of National Defense, when asked to comment on China-Africa military relations development at a regular press conference on Thursday.
"The two sides have held the China-Africa Forum on Peace and Security and special meetings under its framework and maintained close exchanges at all levels", the spokesperson elaborated, adding that cooperation had been fruitful in various fields, including military construction, personnel training, maritime security, peacekeeping operations, health care, and humanitarian assistance and disaster relief.
He also stressed that the Chinese military will continue to follow the principles of sincerity, real results, affinity and good faith, work with the militaries of African countries to promote the implementation of the important consensus reached by the leaders, strengthen strategic communication and pragmatic cooperation, further enhance the quality and effectiveness of defense cooperation, provide reliable security guarantees for the joint building of a high-level China-Africa community with a shared future, make greater contributions to safeguarding regional and global security, and promoting the building of a community with a shared future for mankind.
