The 38th meeting of the Pacific Area Senior Officer Logistics Seminar (PASOLS) organized by China for the first time opened in Beijing on the morning of September 8. Liao Xilong, member of the Central Military Commission and director of the General Logistics Department (GLD) of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA), was present at the opening ceremony and delivered a speech. 120 senior logistics officers including the senior officers in charge of logistics or directors of logistics departments from 25 countries such as the U.S., Canada, New Zealand, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, Mongolia, Maldives and Papua New Guinea attended the meeting.

　　Consisting of 25 member states and 8 observer states currently, the PASOLS is so far the highest level multi-national logistics seminar with the widest influence in the Pacific and Indian Ocean regions. China became a full member state of the seminar in 1995. The seminar holds a meeting annually. During the annual meeting, the participants exchange and explore general rules, practices, existing questions and relevant solutions concerning logistics, so as to strengthen logistics exchange among the militaries of the member states and promote the cooperation among the member states of the PASOLS.

　　Co-chaired by China and the U.S., the 38th meeting of the PASOLS is themed on the joint military logistics support. Lieut. Gen. Gainey, director of the Logistics Bureau of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, addressed the opening ceremony. As the chairman of the Chinese side, Liu Weiping, deputy chief of staff of the command of the GLD of the PLA, made a keynote speech on the joint logistics support of the military. During the meeting, the representatives of different countries carried out thorough discussion on issues regarding the joint logistics support of the militaries. According to the practice of the PASOLS, the Chinese side will organize rich cultural activities, displaying prolonged Chinese history and the tremendous achievements obtained in more than 30 years of reform and opening up.

　　By Zhao Jianwei and Luo Zheng