Beijing (ANTARA News) - Indonesia and China play an important role particularly in securing sea lanes in the Asia-Pacific region, a Chinese naval officer said.

"We have good cooperation with a number of countries in the Asia Pacific region including Indonesia with which we share the same role and principle," Chinese Deputy Naval Chief of Staff Vice Admiral Xu Hongmeng said when receiving Assistant for Operations to the Indonesian Naval Chief of Staff Rear Admiral Didit Herdiawan here on Thursday.

It is important for Indonesia and China to forge good cooperation particularly between the two navies, Xu said.

"We have good cooperation. We appreciate the navy-to-navy talk held by the two countries` navies yesterday," he said.

Looking ahead, the two navies could have the ever increasingly closer cooperation which would be useful not only for the two countries but also for regional stability, he said.

"The Indonesian and Chinese Navies can enhance and expand the existing cooperation, ranging from mutual visits by the two countries` military officers, exchange of military officers to more strategic operational order," he said.

The ever increasingly closer cooperation must also be based on mutual trust and mutual respect, he said.

Earlier, on Wednesday, the two navies held a navy-to-navy cooperation talk. The communication forum which is part of defense cooperation between the two nations will be held routinely once every two years.(*)

Editor: Heru Purwanto
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