China and Russia hold missile defence talks, Moscow reveals as the countries face growing rivalry with US

Russian foreign ministry says consultations will continue ‘regularly’, though Beijing has yet to confirm meeting

Chinese scholar says discussions probably focused on opposition to Washington’s anti-missile systems

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Missile defence remains a sensitive issue for Beijing, which has not released any information about Tuesday’s talks on the topic. Photo: AP

Published: 7:10pm, 28 Jun 2023

China and Russia held a new round of consultations on missile defence in Moscow on Tuesday, according to the Russian foreign ministry – a development one Chinese scholar said was part of an attempt to deal with growing threats posed by the US.

Diplomats from Beijing and Moscow took part in the consultations, during which “the sides exchanged views on various aspects of this problem, including its global and regional dimensions”, the ministry said in a statement without elaborating.

It added that the two sides would continue such consultations “regularly”.

Beijing has not yet released any information about the consultations on missile defence, which remains a sensitive issue.

In recent years, China and Russia have come together to oppose Washington’s development of anti-missile systems by signing joint statements. They have also held joint exercises and talks over missile defence amid a growing rivalry with Washington.