Chinese and Brazilian officials met in Beijing on Tuesday to discuss strengthening military co-operation, the Chinese Ministry of National Defence said in a statement.

The deputy chief of the Joint Staff Department of China’s Central Military Commission, Sun Jianguo, met representatives from Brazil’s Ministry of Defence at the fifth meeting of the China-Brazil Exchange and Cooperation Joint Commission for Defence Ministries.

Mr Sun said military ties between the two nations had developed rapidly and the joint commission would make positive contributions to enrich the China-Brazil comprehensive strategic partnership.