China hosts military forum with LatAm countries

Senior military officers from eight Latin American countries gathered at a defense forum hosted by China's Ministry of Defense in Beijing Monday.

The officers are from Argentina, Bolivia, Colombia, Cuba, Ecuador, Mexico, Uruguay and Venezuela, according to the ministry statement.

The forum will last ten days and China will explain its foreign and defense policies as well as its concept of peaceful development, the statement said.

China hopes to develop a pragmatic system to communicate and cooperate with Latin American countries on defense strategies, the statement said.

China hosted a similar forum in 2012.