BEIJING - State Councilor and Defense Minister Chang Wanquan met with Denis Mercier, Chief of Staff of the French Air Force, in Beijing on Thursday.

Chinese President Xi Jinping paid a state visit to France in March and the two countries issued a plan for medium- and long-term cooperation,leading bilateral ties into a new period of comprehensive and rapid development, Chang said.

The Chinese military attaches great importance to its relationship with the French forces and is willing to promote military-to-military ties to a new level, Chang said.

Mercier said France and China are both peace-loving nations, and hopes the two militaries can continue to expand practical cooperation, particularly between the two air forces and on peacekeeping missions.