Ministry of Defense: Middle East (Timor), China and Indonesia Will Further Deepen Defense Cooperation

The Middle East (Timor) and China-Indonesia will further deepen defense cooperation

On the afternoon of August 27, the Ministry of Defense held a regular press conference, where Major General Zhang Xiaogang, the spokesperson for the Ministry of Defense, answered questions from reporters.

Reporter: According to reports, recently, Defense Minister Dong Jun visited East Timor and attended the second ministerial meeting of the China-Indonesia Foreign Ministers and Defense Ministers "2+2" dialogue mechanism in Indonesia. Please provide further details on this situation.

Zhang Xiaogang: At the invitation of the East Timorese side, Defense Minister Dong Jun visited East Timor and attended the second ministerial meeting of the China-Indonesia Foreign Ministers and Defense Ministers "2+2" dialogue mechanism in Indonesia. This is a pragmatic measure to implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of China, East Timor, and Indonesia, further deepening security mutual trust and defense cooperation, and serving to build a community of shared destiny in the region.

Currently, the relationship between China and East Timor has entered its best historical period, and this is also the first visit by a Chinese Defense Minister to East Timor. Minister Dong Jun held meetings and discussions with the President and Prime Minister of East Timor, exchanging in-depth views on the bilateral relations between the two countries and their militaries, the international and regional situation, and issues of mutual concern. Both sides will further deepen bilateral and multilateral defense cooperation, elevating military relations to a higher level.

In recent years, China-Indonesia defense cooperation has improved in quality and efficiency, providing a model for new types of defense cooperation among global South and developing countries. China will work with Indonesia to advance defense and military construction cooperation with a strategic perspective, deeply explore the potential for defense cooperation, and promote the normalization and institutional development of practical cooperation in areas such as equipment technology, joint exercises and training, personnel training, and maritime security, continuously improving quality and efficiency, building a solid security barrier for each other's development, playing a backbone role in regional stability, and injecting more stability, certainty, and constructiveness into a world filled with turmoil.