Chinese Defense Minister Li Shangfu promised closer communication between the two countries’ armies at a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in the Kremlin. China “is ready to work with Russia” to “strengthen strategic communication between the two armies” and “make further contributions to maintaining global and regional security and stability,” Li said, according to a translation of Russian state television.
In the talks, in which Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu also took part, Putin also praised the military cooperation: “We regularly (…) exchange information, cooperate in the field of military-technical cooperation and hold joint exercises,” he said Putin. Li stressed that the Russian-Chinese relationship has “already entered a new era”. “We have very strong ties. They surpass the military-political alliances of the Cold War era (…) They are very stable,” it continues.