A ceremony marking the 99th anniversary of the founding of the Chinese People's Liberation Army was held in Baku.
The event opened with the national anthems of Azerbaijan and China.
In her remarks, Chinese Ambassador to Azerbaijan Lu Mei stated that since its founding in 1927, the Chinese People's Liberation Army has been entrusted with protecting the country's sovereignty, territorial integrity, security, and development interests, while also making significant contributions to maintaining global peace and stability.
The ambassador highlighted that the Chinese military actively participates in UN peacekeeping operations, international humanitarian assistance, and disaster relief missions, while continuously strengthening international military exchanges and cooperation. She also emphasized that China and Azerbaijan, as comprehensive strategic partners, continue to strengthen ties and expand cooperation under the leadership of their presidents, to the benefit of both countries.
She noted that military cooperation constitutes an important part of the bilateral strategic partnership and that the Chinese military stands ready to further enhance exchanges and cooperation with the Azerbaijani Armed Forces.
The ambassador added that China will work alongside Azerbaijan to implement the important agreements reached by the two heads of state, deepen cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative and in artificial intelligence, and jointly advance peace and development at both the regional and global levels.
In his remarks, Colonel Sun Zhong, Military Attaché of China to Azerbaijan, emphasized that the Chinese People's Liberation Army was established during a defining period in the nation's history and has since made significant contributions to consolidating China's independence, advancing national development, and ensuring enduring peace.
"The Chinese People's Liberation Army has now embarked on a new stage of modernization. Its core mission is to safeguard the country's sovereignty, security, and development interests, while contributing to the strengthening of regional and global peace," Sun emphasized.
He said the Chinese military has expanded international cooperation through UN peacekeeping, counter-piracy, humanitarian, and disaster relief missions, demonstrating China's commitment to addressing shared security challenges with other countries.
Noting that China-Azerbaijan military ties have continued to develop through high-level visits, professional dialogue, and military personnel training, he added that these exchanges have strengthened mutual understanding and created a solid foundation for future cooperation.
The military attaché hailed Azerbaijan’s regional role, saying the country contributes to regional development and stability as an important bridge between Europe and Asia. He added that China looks forward to deepening cooperation with Azerbaijan and jointly promoting peace and prosperity.
