China and Vietnam would jointly chair an expert working group (EWG) to strengthen the regional capacity to tackle non-traditional security challenges, Chinese Defense Minister Liang Guanglie said Tuesday.

The EWG would focus on humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, he said.

Liang made the remarks at a discussion session at the 1st Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Defense Ministers' Meeting Plus (ADMM-Plus), which draws together 10 ASEAN countries and eight dialogue partners.

The EWG is a cooperation mechanism within the framework of the ADMM-Plus, which was inaugurated on Tuesday as a platform for regional security dialogue and consultation.

Liang said strengthening non-traditional security cooperation was the starting point, as well as a focus on future closer security cooperation for the ADMM-Plus.

The Chinese minister proposed participating countries in the ADMM-Plus should improve studies on non-traditional security cooperation to set up the theoretical, legal and procedural frameworks for cooperation.

He said participating countries should strengthen experience sharing on personnel training, material assistance and information exchange.

The ADMM-Plus framework prioritizes regional cooperation in five areas -- humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, maritime security, military medicine, counter-terrorism and peacekeeping operations.

The ADMM-Plus includes Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam within the ASEAN bloc, and their eight dialogue partners -- Australia, China, India, Japan, South Korea, New Zealand, Russia and the United States.