Defense minister visits West Point

Chinese Defense Minister Liang Guanglie presents a book to Lt. Gen. David, superintendent of the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, New York, May 10, 2012. [Photo/Agencies]

WEST POINT, United States - Chinese Defense Minister Liang Guanglie on Thursday visited the United States Military Academy (USMA) in West Point, presenting to its library more than 200 copies of Chinese history and strategy books to boost military ties.

At the book-presenting ceremony, Liang said his visit aims at implementing the important consensus reached between Chinese President Hu Jintao and his US counterpart Barack Obama on developing bilateral cooperative partnership, and positive results have been achieved to this effect.

Liang said his visit to the US is very successful in terms of deepening mutual understanding, strengthening mutual trust, and further promoting mutual cooperation.

For his part, USMA Superintendent Lt. Gen. David Huntoon said "United States Military Academy and the People's Liberation Army have had a number of very important military-to-military exchanges for many years," and Liang's efforts "to build greater trust and mutual cooperation between the US and China have been extraordinary."  

Liang also spoke in Chinese with almost 30 USMA cadets who can speak mandarin and presented gifts to them. Liang was presented by Lt. Gen. David Huntoon with a dress cadet helmet as a gift.

Liang's USMA visit wrapped up his six-day visit in the US starting on May 4., the first by a Chinese defense minister in nine years. He has met with his US counterpart Leon Panetta, representatives of the Flying Tigers and their families, and visited the US Southern Command in Miami and other US military bases.