It was a poignant moment of stiff diplomatic protocol and good old-fashioned elbow-rubbing. The People's Liberation Army's Air Force commander, Lieutenant-General Liu Shunyao, raised his glass and toasted the warm relations between the mainland's air force and its overseas friends.
The occasion was a dinner hosted by the PLA Air Force to honour foreign air-force pilots and other official brass at the China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition, which concluded in Zhuhai at the weekend.
The air show, Gen Liu said, was an opportunity for air-force leaders to exchange ideas and speak to manufacturers.
His words - and the guest list - emphasised that the aviation exhibition was as much an occasion for mainland munitions-manufacturers to display their latest creations as it was for foreign firms, such as Boeing, Airbus and Bombardier Aerospace, to hype their designs.
Air commanders from Bangladesh, Kenya, Tanzania and the United Arab Emirates - all leading importers of mainland-made aircraft and other weapons systems - were present. Also present were Russian air-force personnel, representing the mainland's chief source of military hardware and technology.
Military imports continue to outpace exports but the mainland is slowly emerging as a leading international arms distributor. According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, the mainland exported US$3.53 billion worth of conventional weapons between 1993 and last year.
However modest by standards of the United States, Britain and France, the mainland is finding receptive markets in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia for its low-priced aircraft and missiles.