China's official news agency 'Xinhua', on Feb 27, 2014, quoted Djibouti's Defense Minister Hassan Darar Houffaneh as calling for more military cooperation between his country and China to contribute to peace and security in the sub-region. Houffaneh said Djibouti was ready to allow Chinese military ships to access its ports and urged his Chinese counterpart to concretize the military cooperation between the two countries. The visiting Chinese Defense Minister Chang Wanquan who was in Djibouti on 24 and 25 Feb, assured that "The People's Republic of China is ready to support Djibouti to reinforce its military capacities and guarantee its security."