China and Russia Discuss Enhancing Bilateral Military Cooperation

Beijing -- China and Russia discussed ways to enhance military cooperation on Tuesday to advance the development of relations between the two countries’ armed forces, in order to safeguard global and regional peace and stability. The Xinhua News Agency reported that the talks took place between Zhang Shengmin, vice chairman of the Central Military Commission of the Communist Party of China, and Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov, at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in the capital, Beijing.

Quoting Zhang, the agency reported that “Sino-Russian military relations have seen development in recent years that keeps pace with the qualitative advancement in bilateral ties, achieving fruitful results in areas such as high-level exchanges, training, and joint military exercises.” He expressed Beijing’s readiness to work with Moscow to increase mutual trust in the military field and improve bilateral cooperation mechanisms, in order to better defend the sovereignty, security, and developmental interests of both countries and to preserve global peace and stability.

Zhang also praised the development of Sino-Russian relations, noting that they have entered a new phase characterized by faster growth, with both countries achieving greater accomplishments under the leadership of Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin, playing a “constructive” role in maintaining global strategic balance and improving global governance.

For his part, Belousov emphasized during the meeting his country’s commitment to continuing to strengthen coordination with China, intensifying strategic consultations and mutual support, and expanding practical cooperation in military education and technological innovation, thereby driving both countries and their armed forces toward more significant results. He pointed out that the comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination between Russia and China has seen continuous development and reached an unprecedented high level, which is of paramount importance to the peace, stability, prosperity, and development of both countries and the world. He also expressed support for China’s “positive” role in major international and regional affairs, noting that the international security situation, particularly in the Asia-Pacific region, has undergone changes and complexities. (End) S L Q / N A A