Key takeaways:
- Russia and China have declared a “no limits” partnership
- Li’s visit to Russia marks his first overseas trip since taking on the role of Defense Minister last month
- The two countries have further strengthened their economic, political and military ties since Russia sent tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine
Russia and China have declared a “no limits” partnership, and on Sunday, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese Defense Minister Li Shangfu met in Moscow to discuss their countries’ close military cooperation.
The two leaders praised the ongoing collaboration between their respective military departments, which includes the exchange of useful information and joint exercises.
Li’s visit to Russia marks his first overseas trip since taking on the role of Defense Minister last month. It also follows the US’s 2018 sanctions against him for transactions with Russia’s state-controlled arms exporter Rosoboronexport, when he lead the Chinese military’s Equipment Development Department.
The two countries have further strengthened their economic, political and military ties since Russia sent tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine. This includes Russia’s delivery to China of Su-35 combat aircraft in 2017 and S-400 surface-to-air missile system-related equipment.
The meeting comes as Western countries have increased pressure on Beijing to urge Putin to end his war against Ukraine. Putin and Li’s discussion of their countries’ military cooperation is seen as a sign of the strong relationship between Russia and China.
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