A contingent of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Support Base in Djibouti attended a military parade marking the 64th anniversary of Cote d'Ivoire's independence on Wednesday in Abidjan, the country's economic capital.
President of Cote d'Ivoire Alassane Ouattara arrived at the parade site at 9:30, and the parade commenced after the salute was fired. The parade featured contingents from the army, navy, air force, gendarmerie and police, comprising both marching columns and equipment columns. The parade involved more than 5,000 personnel in total.
At the invitation of the Ministry of Defense of Cote d'Ivoire, 53 officers and soldiers from the PLA Support Base in the country attended the military parade.
"It is a happy and exciting day for me to witness the performance of the PLA Navy Guard of Honor at the National Day Parade in Cote d'Ivoire. We're very proud," said a local Chinese.
"Participating in the military parade to celebrate the 64th anniversary of Cote d'Ivoire's independence allowed the Chinese military to showcase its image as a peaceful, powerful and civilized force to the people of Cote d'Ivoire and representatives from other countries in attendance. It also reflects China's emphasis on developing bilateral relations, consolidating and deepening the traditional friendship between the two countries and the two militaries," said Tan Jia, China's PLA task force commander.
"PLA's participation in the military parade demonstrates the outstanding relationship between Cote d'Ivoire and China, and we have a responsibility to keep the long-standing friendship between our two countries going strong," said Tene Birahima Ouattara, Ivorian Minister of Defense.
The diplomatic ties between Cote d'Ivoire and China were established in 1983, and bilateral cooperation between the two countries various fields has been continually strengthened since then.
PLA contingent attends Cote d'Ivoire's independence military parade
PLA contingent attends Cote d'Ivoire's independence military parade
The China-CELAC (Community of Latin American and Caribbean States) Forum is expected to bring new vitality to the global development and human civilization, said Colombian President Gustavo Petro in Beijing.
Petro, who delivered a keynote speech at the opening ceremony of the fourth ministerial meeting of the China-CELAC Forum on Wednesday, told China Media Group (CMG) in an interview, while giving a special mention of the importance of the forum as a platform to reshape multilateralism.
"This Forum, held here in China, comes at a pivotal moment in history. And that's precisely what makes it so significant. It is taking place at a time when multilateralism is in urgent need of reshaping. There are some powers who believe they can rule the world through intimidation and shows of force. But with China and Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) countries standing together, we must make them understand: history is full of hard lessons. Those who once flexed their military might did not prevail. They may have enjoyed momentary success in the past, but this time, history will not repeat itself," he said.
This year marks the 10th anniversary of the China-CELAC Forum's operation.
Chinese President Xi Jinping stated in his speech delivered at the opening ceremony of the fourth ministerial meeting of the China-CELAC Forum that under the careful cultivation of both sides over the past 10 years, the China-CELAC Forum has grown from a tender sapling into a towering tree.
Petro hailed the relations between China and LAC countries over the past decade, saying that the cooperation is expected to energize the global development and human civilization.
"Yes, exactly, a tree. A strong and thriving tree, with deep and well-developed roots firmly anchored in the earth. There's no doubt that over the past ten years, trade in physical goods between China and LAC countries has grown substantially. China is involved in building the Bogota metro project. China is also constructing a port in Peru, and many other large-scale infrastructure projects are being advanced through Chinese investment and engineering expertise. When we link the cultural and civilizational threads of China and LAC countries, it's as if we are nurturing a living tree, one that grows tall toward the sky and promises to bring new vitality to the human civilization," he said.
China-CELAC Forum brings new vitality to global development: Colombian president
