Russia's head of defense emphasized together with China in Beijing

Russia's head of defense emphasized together with China in Beijing

This week, Chinese and Russian defense officers in Beijing have announced a joint commitment to strengthen their cooperation. This is another sign of the increasing approach between the two neighboring countries, which is closely observed by the USA and its allies.

Common strategic goals

"We share joint views, a common assessment of the situation and a common understanding of what we have to do together," said Russian Defense Minister Andrey Belousov to Zhang Youxia, the deputy chairman of the Central Military Commission of China, as reported by the Russian news agency TASS. The goal is to "strengthen and expand and expand the strategic partnership, added Belousov.

A significant visit

According to the Russian state media, the visit of Belousov is its first after his appointment in May and takes place shortly before a planned visit to the Chinese head of state XI Jinping in Russia. China and Russia have intensified their security policy coordination in the past few months in the face of joint tensions with the West, including the implementation of joint military exercises to signal Washington that although they have no alliance, they are still not alone.

Deepening of military relationships

During the meeting on Tuesday, Zhang repeated the rhetoric of XI and the Russian President Vladimir Putin and called for a deepening and expansion of military relationships between the two countries. They are intended to protect national sovereignty, security and the development interests of both countries and jointly ensure international and regional peace and stability.

Preparation for the BRICS summit

Belousov also met the Chinese Defense Minister Dong Jun a day earlier, who is under Zhang in China's military hierarchy. The Russian Minister of Defense is visited shortly before the expected visit by XI Jinping in Kazan, Russia, next week for a summit of the Brics states, an economic group that Moscow and Beijing see in response to the group supported by the USA (G7).

Growing trade relationships

Although the Foreign Ministry of China's XI Jinping's travel plans have not confirmed, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi was quoted by the Kremlin last month, who confirmed the presence of the leader. This visit would be XI Jinping in Russia since Putin's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and his fifth personal meeting with Putin during this period. Regular high-ranking diplomacy and the increased security policy coordination between China and Russia are, with precise observation of the United States and its allies, to accuse Beijing of supporting Russia's war through the delivery of dual-use goods such as machine tools and microelectronics.

Cooperation with patrols

Beijing has defended his “normal trade relationships” with Russia and claims to maintain neutrality in the conflict. Last year, trade relationships between the two countries reached record levels, since China turned out to be an important economic lifeline for Russia, which suffers from war -related international sanctions. In the past few weeks, the Chinese and Russian coastal guards have carried out their first common patrol in the Arctic Ocean, while both marine submarines practiced in the northwestern Pacific Ocean.

Military tensions about Taiwan

The patrol followed a number of joint exercises in summer, including near Alaska, where US and Canadian forces for the first time collapsed Russian and Chinese bombers. Belousov's arrival in Beijing fell together with a record of Chinese military aircraft, which flew around Taiwan during large -scale military exercises. Beijing explained that the exercises were to be understood as a "clear warning" of the forces in Taiwan, which are considered pro-independence. Shortly after a speech by the new President of Taiwan, Lai Ching-Te, who promised to protect Taiwan's sovereignty in view of the challenges of Beijing, which regarded the self-governing democracy as part of his territory.