Russia and China hold similar views on global affairs and are set to deepen mutual security cooperation, Russian Defense Minister Andrey Belousov has said.
The official made the comments at a meeting with the vice chairman of China’s Central Military Commission, Zhang Youxia, on Tuesday.
Belousov arrived in Beijing on Monday on an official visit. Meeting with his Chinese counterpart, Admiral Dong Jun, Belousov called military cooperation between Russia and China an important factor in maintaining global and regional peace and stability.
“Yesterday we held very substantive negotiations with the Minister of Defense of the People’s Republic of China, and we see that we have common views, a common assessment of the situation, and a common understanding of what we need to do together,” he said.
The Russian Defense Minister stressed that thanks to the efforts of both leaders – Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin – the countries have forged close ties and a strategic partnership.
The friendship between the two sides has been tested and strengthened over time, as this year marks the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and Russia, Belousov said, adding that next year marks the 80th anniversary of their mutual victory over Nazism.
“We have a common history, a long common journey. We look to the future with confidence,” he stated.
Zhang noted that it is Belousov’s first visit to China after being appointed defense minister and that Beijing is placing special attention on the organization of the visit.
Russia’s ties with China have strengthened in recent years. Beijing has adhered to a policy of neutrality regarding the Ukraine conflict, and has firmly rebuffed Western calls to impose sanctions on Russia, opting instead to boost trade with its neighbor. China is also promoting a six-point plan to settle the Ukraine conflict, which calls for both sides to refrain from escalation and engage in negotiations.
Last week, Russian and Chinese border guards completed their first joint patrol in the North Pacific Ocean, marking China’s first Arctic coastguard patrol with its neighbor. Moscow and Beijing also conducted joint drills in the Sea of Japan last month as part of a major naval exercise that Putin described as the largest of its kind in decades.