Mongolian Prime Minister Sukhbaatar Batbold (R) meets with Ma Xiaotian (2nd L), deputy chief of the General Staff of the Chinese People"s Liberation Army, in Ulan Bator Aug. 19, 2010. (Xinhua/A Sigang)

Mongolian Prime Minister Sukhbaatar Batbold said here Thursday that Mongolia and China were good neighbors and Mongolia attached great importance to developing its ties with China.

Batbold made the remarks when meeting Ma Xiaotian, deputy chief of general staff of the Chinese People"s Liberation Army, who arrived here for the 5th China-Mongolia Defense Consultation.

Batbold said Mongolia was willing to keep high-level exchanges with China and enhance political mutual trust, and it was committed to consolidating and developing the friendly cooperative relations of good neighborliness with China.

Batbold appreciated China"s valuable support and assistance to Mongolia"s social and economic development.

He also said Mongolia would continue to uphold the one-China policy firmly and was willing to foster long-term and stable ties.

Ma said China and Mongolia were important neighbors to each other and China was willing to work with Mongolia to step up cooperation and exchanges in the military field, among others, and unceasingly push forwards the good-neighborly partnership of mutual trust between the two countries.

On Thursday, Ma also met with Mongolian Defense Minister Luvsanvandan Bold and other high-ranking Mongolian military officials and visited a Mongolian peacekeeping training center.

Mongolian Prime Minister Sukhbaatar Batbold (R) meets with Ma Xiaotian (2nd L), deputy chief of the General Staff of the Chinese People"s Liberation Army, in Ulan Bator Aug. 19, 2010. (Xinhua/A Sigang)