Russia says interested in defense coop with China
By Sabina Idayatova
Newly appointed Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu indicated Russia's continuing interest in defense cooperation with China at a meeting of the intergovernmental commission on military cooperation on Wednesday, RIA Novosti news agency reported.
The commission, which was established in 1992, last met in Moscow on September 23, 2011. Moscow and Beijing have been taking turns in hosting its sessions.
During his visit to Beijing Shoigu told top Chinese officials that joint work between the two powers would enhance security across the region.
"The closer the cooperation is between our countries, including in the military-technical area, the calmer our region will be," he said.
Senior Chinese military officials in turn voiced their support for closer cooperation with Moscow.
"We see our relationship with Russia as a priority in the field
of international military cooperation," Xu Qiliang, deputy head of
the Communist Party of China's Central Military
Commission, said at the commission meeting.
He added that Beijing wants to "bring the relationship to a higher level."
"Our predecessors laid down a foundation for... multifaceted cooperation. The cooperation is developing in engineering and technologies, military education and other spheres," Xu Qiliang noted.
Shoigu congratulated Xu Qiliang on the completion of the 18th congress of the Communist Party of China Central Committee.
"That was a significant event not only for China but also definitely for us, your neighbors described by our countries' leaders as strategic partners," Shoigu said.
Xu Qiliang, for his part, congratulated Shoigu on his recent appointment as Defense Minister on behalf of the CPC Central Committee's military commission.
"Although your visit is brief, it shows that Russia attaches big significance to defense and military-technical cooperation with China, and China highly values that," he said.
Russia-China relations "are on the rise" after the establishment of strategic partnership, Xu Qiliang said.
"We view our relations with Russia as a priority of international military cooperation," he said.
He expressed willingness to continue the implementation of the agreements reached by Russian and Chinese political leaders for "bringing bilateral relations to an even higher level."
This was Shoigu's first official foreign visit, during which he plans to meet with China's political leaders and military officials.
Shoigu was appointed Defense Minister by President Vladimir Putin to replace Anatoly Serdyukov on November 6, following corruption allegations.
As China's economy and influence have continued to grow, the country has become increasingly attractive for Russia as a regional partner. The two countries already have alligned interests in foreign policy - from batting down Western criticism of human rights abuses to their joint stance against foreign intervention in the Syrian civil war, RIA Novosti said.