Indonesia-China hold defense consultation meeting

 Indonesia and China have again staged a consultation meeting to improve the two countries` relations and cooperation in the field of security and defense.

The Indonesia-China Defense Consultation Forum at the People`s Liberation Army (PLA) Headquarters was the fifth since 2007.

Indonesia`s delegation was led by deputy minister of defense Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin while the Chinese delegation was led by PLA`s deputy chief of general staff Lieutenant General Qi Jian`guo.

The meeting discussed development of the defense cooperation agreement made by the two countries in the framework of strategic partnership in April 2005.

Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin said that the meeting was initially scheduled on November 2012 but it was then postponed due to a process of leadership change in that country in the month.

Meanwhile "we also had an important agenda in that month namely a leadership meeting which had only ended yesterday," he added.

After the Defense Consultation Forum was agreed Indonesia and China had conducted various cooperation activities such as a joint exercise between the Indonesian army and the PLA special force, exchange of officers of the two countries` military education institutions including the University of Defense.

Not only that Indonesia and China have also cooperated in Sukhoi fighter pilot training, the purchase of military hardware and in 2011 in the defense industry for the joint production of C-705 missile.

China has also offered cooperation in Mandarin language training for Indonesian army officers. The meeting was now still underway behind closed doors.

Source: ANTARA