On June 5, Ma Xiaotian, deputy chief of general staff of the PLA, met in Beijing with the visiting delegation led by John Rood, U.S. acting undersecretary of state for arms control and international security, who had come to attend the Sino-U.S. rategic security consultation.

　　Ma Xiaotian said in recent years, the ties between the Chinese and US militaries have seen good growth on the whole, as evidenced by frequent exchanges of high-level visits, steady progress of mechanism-based exchanges between the two militaries and cooperation between the military educational institutions, and gradual growth of exchange in specialized fields. Ma Xiaotian also added that the Chinese side is willing to work together with the U.S. side to strengthen communication, enhance mutual trust, deepen cooperation and further push forward the relations between the two militaries.

　　Ma Xiaotian also briefed his guests on China's implementation of the international arms control treaties and fulfillment of the nonproliferation obligation as well as the Chinese army's participation in quake relief operation. He thanked the U.S. side for its assistance to China's quake-hit areas. Ma Xiaotian reiterated China's principled stand on the Taiwan issue.

　　Rood said the U.S. side would like to extend sympathy and solicitude to the victims of Sichuan earthquake, and the U.S. side would try its best to provide more help. He expressed the hope that the two sides would further strengthen exchange and cooperation in the security field.

　　By Zhang Shun

　　(June 6, PLA Daily)                                                Editor: Chen Jie