Chinese State Councilor and Minister of National Defense Li Shangfu said on Friday that China is ready to cooperate with other members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) to build a balanced, effective and sustainable security architecture.

Li said when attending the SCO defense ministers' meeting in the Indian capital that the ministerial meeting has become a key platform for SCO countries to strengthen strategic communication and discuss security cooperation.

Important consensuses have been reached at the meeting of the SCO Council of Heads of State in Samarkand, Uzbekistan last September, he noted.

China is willing to join hands with other SCO members to implement the Global Security Initiative, deepen strategic mutual trust, enhance anti-terrorism cooperation, expand fields for cooperation and improve cooperation mechanisms, so as to contribute to global and regional peace and stability, Li said.

The defense ministers pledged at the meeting to further boost strategic communication, focus on consensuses and expand SCO cooperation and jointly safeguard regional security and stability.

A joint communique was released after the meeting.

During his stay in India, Li met with defense ministers from Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, India, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Russia, Uzbekistan and Iran on international and regional situations, bilateral and military ties as well as issues of common concern.

(Cover: Soldiers of the 42nd fleet of the Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy stand guard during sailing, February 8, 2023. /Xinhua)

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