Tajik president meets Chinese defense minister on ties

China would like to expand cooperation with Tajikistan and advance the two countries' diplomatic and military ties, visiting Chinese State Councilor and Defense Minister Chang Wanquan said Monday.

In a meeting with Tajik President Emomali Rakhmon, Chang said China would like to explore more potential and expand more areas for cooperation with Tajikistan, following the direction set by the heads of state of the two countries.

The China-Tajikistan relationship had witnessed healthy and smooth development since the establishment of their diplomatic ties in 1992, said Chang.

The political mutual trust between the two countries had been deepened, with both sides achieving fruitful results on pragmatic cooperation both at the bilateral level and within the framework of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), he added.

The establishment of a strategic partnership last year opened a new chapter in the ties between the two countries, Chang noted.

Rakhmon, for his part, thanked China's unselfish assistance and active contribution to the army building of his country. Lauding the military cooperation between the two states, he expressed his wish for further exchanges and collaboration.

There were still many destabilizing factors in Central Asia, which posed risks to countries like Tajikistan and China, noted the president, who thus urged a reinforced cooperation between the two sides to jointly tackle the challenges.

Chang arrived here Saturday for a visit to Tajikistan, where he would attend an SCO defense ministers' meeting.