Commander of Belarus Air Force and Air Defense Oleg Paferov said Thursday that Belarus' air force expects to enhance cooperation and exchanges with its Chinese counterpart.  

Paferov made the remarks when meeting with Defense Minister Cao Gangchuan. He said cooperation between the air forces of the two countries has been successful and he expects to strengthen exchanges between the two sides.

He also reiterated that Belarus firmly supports the one-China policy and China's national reunification cause.

Cao said China has a positive attitude towards the development of relationships between the two nations and armed forces on the basis of equal footing and reciprocity. He suggested the two sides work together to implement the consensus reached by the two state heads, raising the all-round friendly cooperation to a higher level.

"China attaches great importance to the relationship with Belarus' air force and air defense force," said Cao.

Paferov arrived in Beijing Wednesday morning for his first visit to China since he took office in December 2001. He is an official goodwill guest of Qiao Qingchen, commander of the Air Force of the Chinese People's Liberation Army.

(Xinhua News Agency March 25, 2005)