British Defense Secretary Geoff Hoon said in London Thursday that Britain would make further efforts to strengthen cooperation with China, stressing that his country would stick to the one-China policy.  

It is very important for Britain and China, two important countries in the world, to maintain regular exchanges so as to enhance mutual understanding and mutual confidence, and to enlarge common ground and bilateral cooperation, Hoon told visiting Director of the General Political Department of the Chinese People's Liberation Army Xu Caihou, who is also a member of the Central Military Commission of China.

Britain would continue to adhere to the one-China policy and would be willing to intensify cooperation with China at bilateral level and within the framework of the United Nations, Hoon said.

Stressing that the purpose of his visit to Britain was to promote mutual understanding, common ground, friendship and cooperation between China and Britain, Xu said that China and Britain, two permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, could play an important role in maintaining global peace and stability.

It is very important for China and Britain to further their exchanges and cooperation, Xu told Hoon.

China and Britain have seen continuous exchanges of high-level military visits and enriched bilateral cooperation in recent years, Xu said, adding that he believed Sino-British cooperation in various areas would be further deepened through the common efforts of the two countries.

At the invitation of the British Ministry of Defense, Xu arrived in London on Tuesday for a five-day official visit to Britain.

(Xinhua News Agency November 7, 2003)