(VOVworld) - The 6th ASEAN-China Defense Ministers’ Informal Meeting took place in Vientiane, Laos, on Wednesday, as part of the 10th ASEAN Defense Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM). 

The ADMM is one of the meetings hosted by Laos as the ASEAN chairman this year (news.cn)

China’s Defense Minister Chang Wanquan called for efforts to enhance cooperation via joint patrolling, fighting terrorism, and maritime exercises. ASEAN and Chinese ministers underlined the importance of cooperation in defense security and vowed to address differences through peaceful means, without any threat or use of force.

 Vietnam’s Defense Minister Ngo Xuan Lich hailed ASEAN’s central role in the region and ASEAN defense cooperation mechanisms like ADMM+ and the ASEAN Regional Forum. He said Vietnam values the contributions of ASEAN’s partners, particularly China. Minister Lich urged both sides to maintain information exchanges, and consultations and consider establishing a hotline between their defense ministers. He also suggested building trust through field activities, especially at sea, expanding application of the Code for Unplanned Encounters at Sea for ASEAN and Chinese public service ships, and building a similar code for airplanes in the East Sea.

On the sidelines of the ADMM 10, Minister Ngo Xuan Lich met with Malaysian Defense Minister Hishammuddin Hussein, and the two agreed to promote relations between their countries’ armies.