By Yin Hang and Dong Zhaohui
The Ministry of National Defense (MND) of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) hosted a reception in Beijing on the evening of January 26 to celebrate the approaching the 2018 Spring Festival, the traditional Chinese lunar new year, which falls on February 15th this year.
Over 260 guests including military attachés and their spouse from more than 80 countries attended the reception on invitation.
Chinese State Councilor and Defense Minister Chang Wanquan and Members of Central Military Commission(CMC) Wei Fenghe, Li Zuocheng, Miao Hua and Zhang Shengmin attended the reception. Hu Changming, chief of the International Military Cooperation Office of the CMC, delivered a speech on behalf of Chang Wanquan.
In 2017, Hu said in his speech, the Communist Party of China (CPC) successfully held its 19th National Congress and established the guiding position of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era.
Hu said that in the year of 2018, the Chinese armed forces will, under the guidance of Xi Jinping's thought on building a strong military, firmly pursue the defensive national defense policy and strengthen exchanges and cooperation with the foreign armed forces in an all round way, and make new and greater contributions to safeguarding China's national sovereignty, security and development interests, protecting world peace and promoting common development.
Brigadier General Carson Rasmussen, Danish military attaché to China, spoke in response on behalf of all foreign military attachés to China. He expressed gratitude to the Chinese military for the support and assistance over the past year and wished China new achievements in national defense and military development.
The military attaches from various countries hope to make joint efforts with the Chinese side to promote continuous development of friendly military-to-military relations between their countries and China, Rasmussen said.