Russia and China show solidarity as Chinese defence minister Li Shangfu heads to Moscow
- Putin’s high-profile welcome of Li is not without precedent but it is unusual
- Meetings show the bonds between the two countries have not been affected by the war in Ukraine, analysts say
Although not unprecedented, it is rare for a visiting Chinese defence chief to be greeted in Moscow by Putin.
During the talks with the Russian president, Li said China was willing to work with Russia to “further enhance strategic communication between the two militaries, strengthen multilateral coordination and cooperation, and make new contributions to maintaining world and regional security and stability”, according to a Chinese statement on Monday.
He also said military and political ties between the two countries “outperformed” Cold War-era unions, and rested on the principles of non-alignment, according to the Kremlin.
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Putin meets China’s new defence chief in Moscow, hails military cooperation
“This is my first overseas visit since taking over as minister of defence of the People’s Republic of China. I specifically chose Russia for this in order to emphasise the special character and strategic importance of our bilateral relations,” Russian authorities quoted Li as saying.