China minister hails ‘strong’ Russia ties in Putin meeting

MOSCOW: Chinese Defence Minister Li Shangfu on Sunday hailed ties with Moscow during a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in the Kremlin.

“We have very strong ties. They surpass the military-political alliances of the Cold War era... They are very stable,” he said in translated remarks broadcast on Russian TV. He added that Russia-China ties have “already entered a new era”.

“This is my first overseas visit since taking over as China´s defence minister. I specifically chose Russia for this in order to emphasise the special nature and strategic importance of our bilateral ties,” Li said.

In the meeting also attended by Russia´s Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu, Putin welcomed military cooperation between Russia and China. “We are also working actively through the military departments, regularly exchange useful information, cooperate in the field of military-technical cooperation, conduct joint exercises, “ Putin said.

“This is, undoubtedly, another important area that strengthens the exclusively trusting, strategic nature of our relations,” he added. Li´s trip to Russia -- that will last until April 19 -- comes weeks after an official visit to Moscow of China´s leader Xi Jinping last month. During two days of talks, Putin and Xi hailed a “new era” in their relationship and discussed Beijing´s proposals to end the Ukraine conflict.