China’s minister of defence, Dong Jun, said on Thursday that deepening military cooperation with Mozambique is of “strategic importance”, during a meeting in Beijing with his Mozambican counterpart, Cristóvão Chume.
“Deepening bilateral military cooperation is of strategic significance to achieving common development and maintaining regional stability.,” the official Xinhua news agency quotes Dong as saying.
China is willing to work with Mozambique to implement the consensus reached by the two heads of state, strengthen pragmatic cooperation in various fields, and take military relations to a new level, adds the Xinhua report..
Referring to the lasting friendship between the two militaries, Cristóvão Chume expressed the hope that both sides will continue to strengthen friendly exchange and create new highlights in their cooperation
In 2016, China and Mozambique signed a Global Strategic Partnership and Cooperation Agreement, aiming to strengthen contacts between the army, police and intelligence services of the two countries.
Beijing also committed to helping Maputo strengthen national defence capacity, safeguard the country’s stability and train military personnel.
China supported the guerrillas of the Front for the Liberation of Mozambique (Frelimo) in the fight against the Portuguese colonial administration, and was one of the first countries to establish diplomatic relations with Mozambique, on Independence Day itself (June 25, 1975).
Lusa
