By IANS,
Washington : Chinese Defence Minister Liang Guanglie Thursday visited the United States Military Academy (USMA) at West Point, presenting to its library more than 200 copies of Chinese history and strategy books to boost military ties.
At the book-presenting ceremony, Liang said his visit aims at implementing the important consensus reached between Chinese President Hu Jintao and US President Barack Obama on developing bilateral cooperative partnership, and positive results have been achieved to this effect.
Liang said his visit to the US is very successful in terms of deepening mutual understanding, strengthening mutual trust, and further promoting mutual cooperation, reported Xinhua.
On his part, USMA Superintendent Lt. Gen. David Huntoon said “United States Military Academy and the People’s Liberation Army have had a number of very important military-to-military exchanges for many years”, and Liang’s efforts “to build greater trust and mutual cooperation between the US and China have been extraordinary”.
Liang also spoke in Chinese with almost 30 USMA cadets who can speak Mandarin and presented gifts to them.
Liang’s West Point visit wrapped up his six-day trip to the US that began May 4, the first by a Chinese defence minister in nine years.
He has met his US counterpart Leon Panetta, and visited the US Southern Command in Miami and other US military bases during the six-day sojourn.