Chinese Defense Minister Li Shangfu highlighted the “very strong ties” between Beijing and Moscow on Sunday during a meeting in the Kremlin with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“We have very strong ties, which go beyond the political-military alliances of the Cold War era” and which are “very stable,” Li Shangfu stressed during the meeting, which was broadcast on Russian television, according to his translation. quoted by Agence France Presse.
The Chinese minister, who took office recently, added that Russia-China relations “have already entered a new era.”
“This is my first overseas visit since I took office as defense minister. I specifically chose Russia to emphasize the special nature and strategic importance of our bilateral relations,” Li Shangfu added.
At the meeting, which was also attended by Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, Vladimir Putin praised the military cooperation between the two countries.
“We actively work through military departments, regularly exchange useful information, cooperate in the field of military-technical cooperation, and conduct joint exercises,” the Russian head of state stressed.
Li Shangfu’s trip to Russia, which will last until Wednesday, follows Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to Moscow in March, a summit that served for the presidents of the two countries to present themselves as determined strategic allies for resist US hegemony.
Since the start of the conflict in Ukraine, Beijing has claimed to be officially neutral, but has never condemned the Russian invasion.
Source: TSF