China would like to boost cooperation with Bulgaria in the defence and military fields 3004131.

Fang, also a member of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks in a meeting with Simeon Hristov Simeonov, the visiting Bulgarian chief of defense staff.

China and Bulgaria boast a profound traditional friendship and the two countries have witnessed in recent years the constant development of bilateral relations, frequent exchange of high level visits of the two militaries and good developing momentum of specialty communication and cooperation in the military fields, Fang said.

Fang expressed that China is willing to make joint efforts with the Bulgarian side to further expand the areas of cooperation and deepen pragmatic cooperation in the fields of high-level military contacts, exchange of visits by military delegations, personnel training, military drilling as well as the non-traditional security so as to promote the military-to-military relations between the two countries to a new level.

Simeonov said that Bulgaria appreciates the constructive role China has played in the international issues. He expressed satisfactions with the wide exchange and cooperation made by the militaries of China and Bulgaria in the past 63 years since the two countries established diplomatic relations in 1949.

Before their talks, Fang Fenghui held a welcoming ceremony for his Bulgarian counterpart in Beijing, at which, Simeonov reviewed the Guard of Honor of the Army, Navy and the Air Force of the Chinese PLA.