China, Mongolia pledge to enhance military ties

Chinese National Defense Minister Liang Guanglie and Tserendejid Byambajav, the visiting chief of general staff of the Mongolian armed forces, met in Beijing Tuesday and pledged to enhance bilateral military cooperation.

Liang highlighted the recent developments of the bilateral cooperation between the two economies, hailing the continuous growth of political and military mutual trust.

The growth of bilateral cooperation not only serves the interests of the two peoples but is also conducive to regional peace and stability, Liang said.

Liang said China is ready to work with Mongolia to push bilateral relations forward and to enhance the partnership featuring good neighborliness and mutual trust.

Byambajav, who is in China at the invitation of his Chinese counterpart, Chen Bingde, agreed with Liang's views on bilateral relations and military-to-military ties.

Earlier Wednesday, Chen, chief of the general staff of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA), held talks with Byambajav.

Byambajav proposed expanding cooperation in the fields of economy and trade, security and defense.

Mongolia and China established diplomatic ties on Oct. 16, 1949.

China-Mongolia trade rose to 2.44 billion U.S. dollars in 2008 from 243 million dollars in 1998. After experiencing a decline in 2009 due to the global financial crisis, trade is picking up again this year.

Source: Xinhua