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Aerospace safety a must, says general

By Hu Yinan (China Daily)
Updated: 2009-11-10 08:24

A top military leader called the high-profile celebrations of the 60th anniversary of the service's founding an occasion for air forces around the world to conduct joint research on aerospace safety.

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"Opening up (like this) has created a platform and a learning opportunity for our air force," said General Xu Qiliang during a visit to the 5th Air Division of the Jinan Military Regional Air Command. He was joined by air force leaders from 32 countries.

The celebrations of the 60th anniversary of the People's Liberation Army Air Force was marked by a two-day international forum in Beijing - which attracted 350 senior air force personnel from home and abroad - as well as the general's visit yesterday to Shandong province.

While both the scheduled skydiving display in Beijing on Sunday and a training scenario in Shandong yesterday were canceled due to bad weather, Xu said it was imperative that global leaders gathered in China to discuss a crucial issue.

"Aerospace peace, safety and harmony are something all of us are extremely concerned about," he said. "It's only when all of us become forces of peace can there be more hope for peace for the mankind of tomorrow."

Chris Moran, commander in chief of Air Command of the UK's Royal Air Force, said it is important that "all the air forces of the world work in harmony". Efforts like yesterday's gathering, he added, are part of that process.

Mark Binskin, chief of the Royal Australian Air Force, told China Daily: "I thoroughly support the peaceful cooperation in aerospace, in particular space. I think everyone in the military, the air force in particular, promotes cooperation in aerospace because if you don't have cooperation, you don't understand each other, and that can break down and that can lead to conflict."

"No one wins from conflict," he added.

President Hu Jintao has reassured global air force leaders that China will engage in the peaceful utilization of aerospace and that its defensive-oriented military policy will stay unchanged.

That reassurance came as a response to misinterpretations from the foreign media of Xu's speech on Nov 1 when the general declared " the competition between military forces is moving toward outer space".