SANTIAGO, July 29 (Xinhua) -- China will continue to uphold its defense policy of defensive nature, Chinese Ambassador to Chile Lv Fan said here on Thursday.
"China has consistently applied a policy of national defense which is defensive in nature, to safeguard its security and national unification, maintain its national interests and achieve comprehensive, coordinated, and sustainable development of national defense and the construction of the army," said Lv at a ceremony celebrating the 83rd anniversary of the founding of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) at the embassy.
Chilean Deputy Defense Minister Alfonso Vargas attended the ceremony along with other guests and military attaches from many other countries.
He said the Chinese armed forces have provided assistance to numerous countries suffering from earthquakes, tsunamis, hurricanes and diseases, making special mention of the PLA's assistance to Chile following the devastating earthquake on Feb. 27.
At the request of the UN since 1990, China has sent to 15 countries and regions worldwide over 20,000 peacekeepers, he said.
China has also sent 16 flotillas to the Gulf of Aden and waters off the shore of Somalia in the Horn of Africa to guard the trade routes of the Indian Ocean and Red Sea against attacks of pirates, he added.
The ambassador also said the military cooperation and exchanges between China and Chile are good and called for their further enhancement.
