Ma Xiaotian meets with New Zealand guest

Ma Xiaotian, member of the Central Military Commission (CMC) of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and commander of the Air Force of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA), met with Jack Steer, the visiting vice chief of the New Zealand Defense Force, on the morning of November 16, 2012 at the Diaoyutai State Guest House in Beijing.

Ma Xiaotian first gave a briefing on the just-concluded 18th CPC National Congress and the situations relating to China's social and economic development and the national defense policy. He said that at present, China-New Zealand relations maintain a good momentum of development as evidenced by frequent contacts between high-ranking officials of the two countries, increasingly deepened mutual political trust and good communication and coordination on major international and regional issues. Stable and healthy development of the relations between the two countries is conducive not only to the two countries and their people but also to maintaining and promoting regional peace, security and prosperity. The relations between the two militaries are at the best-ever stage. The two sides have established strategic dialogue mechanism, which have provided a mechanism-based communication channel for the two sides to exchange in-depth views on major international and regional security issues and conduct exchanges on the relations between the two militaries. It is hoped that the two sides will make joint efforts to further push forward the relations between the two militaries, especially the relations between the two air forces.

Steer expressed that the New Zealand side attaches great importance to the traditional friendly relations between the two countries and the two militaries, and is willing to continue to maintain and strengthen the mutually beneficial cooperation between the two countries and the two militaries, expand exchanges in various fields and promote the friendly and cooperative relations between the two countries, the two militaries and the two air forces to a new high.