Chinese Defense Minister Li Shangfu highlighted the “very strong ties” between Beijing and Moscow 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”, stressed Li Shangfu during the meeting, which was broadcast on Russian television, according to its 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 visit abroad since I took office as Defense Minister. I specifically chose Russia to emphasize the special nature and strategic importance of our bilateral relations,” added Li Shangfu.
At the meeting, which was also attended by Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, Vladimir Putin praised the military cooperation between the two countries.
“We are actively working through military departments, regularly exchange useful information, cooperate in the field of military-technical cooperation and conduct joint exercises,” underlined the Russian head of state.
Li Shangfu’s trip to Russia, which will last until Wednesday, comes after the visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping to Moscow in March, a summit that served for the presidents of the two countries to present themselves as determined strategic allies to resist American hegemony.
Since the start of the conflict in Ukraine, Beijing has claimed to be officially neutral, but never condemned the Russian invasion.
*With Lusa
