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Vladimir Putin hosts top Chinese general: What Russian president said
Modern weaponry will help to ensure the security of both their countries, Vladimir Putin said.
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Military co-operation between Russia and China is becoming increasingly important, Russian president Vladimir Putin said as he hosted a top Chinese general.
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Although, we do not intend to build a Cold War-style military alliance, the Russian leader told General Zhang Youxia, vice chairman of China's Central Military Commission.
Modern weaponry will help to ensure the security of both their countries, Vladimir Putin said accusing NATO of creating tensions in the Asia-Pacific region.
The meeting comes after Russian defence minister Sergei Shoigu held talks in Moscow with General Zhang Youxia and said they would discuss steps to deepen cooperation, Interfax news agency reported.
"We, unlike some aggressive Western countries, are not creating a military bloc. Relations between Russia and China are an example of strategic interaction based on trust and respect,” it quoted Sergei Shoigu as saying at the meeting.
It was the second time the two men had met in the space of 10 days, following talks on the sidelines of a forum that Sergei Shoigu attended in Beijing on October 30.
Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping proclaimed a "no limits" partnership less than three weeks before Russia sent its troops into Ukraine last year. China has refrained from criticising Moscow's actions in Ukraine while United States has warned Beijing against supplying Russia with weapons.
