HIS Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam, the Minister of Defence and Supreme Commander of the Royal Brunei Armed Forces, yesterday afternoon consented to receive in audience General Chang Wanquan, State Councillor and Minister of National Defence of the People’s Republic of China, who is currently in the Sultanate for an introductory visit.

Present at the audience were Zheng Xianglin, Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to Brunei Darussalam; Vice Admiral Xu Hongmeng, Deputy Commander of the People’s Liberation Army Navy, Lieutenant General Fang Jiangou, Deputy Political Commissar and Chief of Political Department of the People’s Liberation Army Air Force; Lieutenant General Hou Jizhen, Chief of Staff of Shenyang Military Area Command; Major General Song Dan, Deputy Chief of General Office of the Central Military Commission; and, Rear Admiral Guan Youfei, Chief of Foreign Affairs Office of Ministry of National Defence, the People’s Republic of China.

Also at the audience were Pehin Orang Kaya Pekerma Dewa Dato Seri Setia Lim Jock Seng, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade II; Pehin Datu Singamanteri Colonel (Rtd) Dato Seri Setia (Dr) Awang Haji Mohammad Yasmin bin Haji Umar, Minister of Energy at the Prime Minister’s Office; and, Dato Paduka Haji Mustappa bin Haji Sirat, Deputy Minister of Defence.

Also present were Dato Paduka Haji Hamdan bin Haji Abu Bakar, Permanent Secretary (Security and Enforcement) at the Prime Minister’s Office; and, Colonel (Rtd) Pengiran Dato Paduka Haji Azmansham bin Pengiran Haji Mohamad, Permanent Secretary (Defence Policy and Development) at the Ministry of Defence. The audience ceremony took place at Istana Nurul Iman. - Borneo Bulletin (9 May 2013)