Several other senior officers, including Major General Ma Jian, deputy director of the Operations Department of the General Staff Headquarters, Air Force Senior Colonel Cheng Junxiang, and the Armed Police headquarters' Senior Colonel Zhang Jinliang also joined yesterday's briefing.

Some 61 military attachs from 47 foreign embassies in Beijing attended.

Before it began, the attachs and their Chinese colleagues observed a minute's silence for the victims of last week's devastating earthquake.

Many attachs photographed an aerial shot of the epicenter and a map revealing troop distribution in quake-hit areas.

Many took notes during the briefing and a number of attachs filmed it.

Branko Gacak, defense attach with the Croatian embassy and acting head of the foreign military attach corps in Beijing, said he was impressed by the Chinese military's performance since the May 12 disaster.

"According to my knowledge from watching Chinese channels, although unfortunately I cannot understand what they are talking about.

"I can feel what they are feeling, and I can see what they are doing," Gacak said.

"I'd like to express our support to our fellow PLA and armed police troops which have done an outstanding job in support and assistance of the people in quake-affected areas."

Foad Baag, defense attach with the Pakistani embassy, spoke highly of the briefing and said information on the military's relief work is very open and helpful.

"The information is extremely useful because it gives us an official account of the relief efforts," he said.

(China Daily May 22, 2008)