The Chinese embassy in Armenia held a solemn reception in Yerevan dedicated to the 98th anniversary of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA).

The event began with the playing of the national anthems of China and Armenia.

The reception was attended by staff of the Armenian Ministry of Defense, government representatives, foreign ambassadors, military officials, as well as representatives of public circles.

Welcoming the guests, Chinese Ambassador to Armenia Li Xinwei noted that the PLA has come a long way over the 98 years of its existence.

The ambassador emphasized that China actively promotes the concept of equal multipolarity, fair economic globalization, and implements global development, security and civilization initiatives which have received the support of many countries, including Armenia.

In turn, the military attaché of the Chinese embassy in Armenia, An Qiang, noted that today the PLA is firmly following the path of building a strong Chinese army.

“History proves that during the World Anti-Fascist War, a strong military friendship was established between the peoples of China and Armenia. China and Armenia are countries that sincerely strive for peace and are important participants in international peacekeeping operations. The [two] sides respect each other’s core interests, exchange experience in creating armed forces and in development. In recent years, cooperation between our armies has achieved new results. From now on, we intend to continue to strengthen practical cooperation between our armies, promote the stable development of bilateral relations, and contribute to the formation of a community with a shared destiny for China and Armenia,” An added, in particular.

First Deputy Minister of Defense-Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Armenia, Edward Asryan, delivered a congratulatory message on behalf of the legislative body of Armenia. He noted that China is currently one of Armenia’s most important international partners, and the further development of friendly bilateral cooperation is one of the priorities of Armenia’s foreign policy.

According to him, Armenia is in favor of joint development and strives to build a community with a shared destiny for humanity.

As per Asryan, Armenian-Chinese relations are at a high level and their development is planned in a number of domains.