A top Chinese military official, Xu Caihou, exchanged views Thursday with
Mongolian Defense Minister Jadambaa Enkhbayar on international and regional
security, ties of the two militaries and other issues of common concern.

Xu, vice chairman of China”s Central Military Commission, said China-Mongolia
military relations have developed smoothly and healthily for a long time, no
matter how the international and regional situations change and how domestic
conditions develop.

Particularly in recent years, he said, bilateral military ties have advanced
steadily.

China is willing to work with Mongolia to further enhance exchanges and
cooperation on personnel training, joint exercises, border defense exchanges
and peacekeeping in order to push bilateral military ties to a new stage, Xu
said.

China always respects Mongolia”s independence, sovereignty and territorial
integrity and also values Mongolia”s development path and foreign policy chosen
in accordance with its own conditions, he said.

Xu highly appreciated Mongolia”s friendly foreign policy toward China and
voiced support for Mongolia”s friendly cooperation with every country in the
world on an equal footing.

He also expressed backing to Mongolia”s policy of forbidding the deployment
of foreign troops and the presence of nuclear weapons and weapons of mass
destruction on its territory.

Enkhbayar said Mongolia-China relations have been developing rapidly in
recent years, with fruitful results in political, economic, cultural and
defense cooperation.

Close cooperation between the two militaries will not only contribute to the
two countries” national security, but is also important for regional stability,
he said.

The Mongolian government always adheres to the one-China policy and will
continue to do so, he said.

Mongolian President Tsakhia Elbegdorj pledged to promote bilateral ties in a
meeting with a visiting Chinese senior military official at the State Palace
Thursday afternoon.

During the meeting with Xu Caihou, a member of the Political Bureau of the
Communist Party of China Central Committee and the vice chairman of China”s
Central Military Commission, Elbegdorj said Mongolia and China had maintained
frequent high-level visits in recent years and military ties between the two
countries had developed smoothly.

The strategic partnership established last year between the two countries had
become a milestone of bilateral relations, he said.

Elbegdorj said Mongolia adhered to the one-China policy and was willing to make
joint efforts with China to further promote mutual understanding and trust,
strengthen friendly cooperation and boost bilateral ties between the two
countries and two militaries.

Xu said China appreciated Mongolia”s understanding and support on issues
related to Taiwan and Tibet. China would continue to support Mongolia in its
economic and social development, as well as international and regional affairs.

Xu also said China was willing to work with Mongolia to enrich the content of
the strategic partnership, adding the two sides should work together to meet
challenges and share opportunities.

Xu arrived here Wednesday night for a three-day official visit.