Missile defence in focus as China, Russia generals pledge deeper cooperation

The Chinese and Russian militaries have pledged to deepen cooperation in sensitive areas including missile defence, following high-level talks in Moscow involving China’s top general.

General Zhang Youxia, the first-ranked vice-chairman of China’s Central Military Commission, met with his Russian counterpart Andrei Belousov on Thursday, according to China’s defence ministry. The visit – Zhang’s first in two years – signals a continued strengthening of defence ties between the two countries.

In a statement released on its website on Thursday night, the Chinese defence ministry said the two sides had “an in-depth exchange of views on the relations between the two countries and the two militaries, the international and regional situation and issues of common concern, and reached consensus on strengthening high-level exchanges and deepening practical cooperation”.

General Zhang Youxia of China (far right) and his Russian counterpart Andrei Belousov in Moscow on Thursday. Photo: Sputnik

Belousov said that his ministry hoped to work with China to “develop a new cooperation blueprint” for defence. Russian-Chinese military cooperation was based on “mutual trust and understanding of each other’s interests”, he said, according to Russia’s Sputnik news agency.

On Wednesday in Moscow, representatives from China and Russia discussed missile defence and strategic stability, according to Russia’s foreign ministry.

The Russian delegation was headed by Andrey Malyugin, special representative for strategic stability, while the Chinese side was led by Li Chijiang, deputy director general of the foreign ministry’s department of arms control and disarmament, according to the statement.

“They conducted in-depth discussions on the aforementioned issues, including a joint analysis of destructive factors posing strategic threats to global and regional security, and exchanged views on solutions,” the statement said.

South China Morning Post