MOSCOW: Russian President Vladimir Putin told a senior Chinese military official on Wednesday that Moscow and Beijing should expand their cooperation on military satellites and other prospective defence technologies, a statement that signalled increasingly close defence links between the allies.
Putin spoke in televised remarks at the start of his meeting with Gen Zhang Youxia, who is China’s second-ranking military official and vice-chairman of the Central Military Commission. The Russian leader emphasised the importance of developing closer military links, noting that cooperation in high-tech spheres now takes priority.
“I mean space, including high-orbit assets, and new prospective types of weapons that will ensure strategic security of both Russia and the People’s Republic of China,” Putin said without elaboration.
He emphasised that while “Russia and China aren’t building any military alliances based on Cold War patterns”, their cooperation is a “serious factor in stabilising the international situation”.
Beijing declared last year that it had a “no-limits” friendship with Russia. China has denounced Western sanctions against Moscow, and accused NATO and the United States of provoking Russia’s military action in Ukraine even as it tried to project itself as neutral in the Ukrainian conflict.
Russia, in turn, has continuously voiced support for Beijing on issues related to Taiwan.
Chinese President Xi Jinping visited Moscow in March to further cement ties and Putin traveled to Beijing last month for a summit of China’s Belt and Road infrastructure initiative.
Speaking during Wednesday’s meeting with Zhang, Putin noted that NATO had sought to expand its reach to the Asia-Pacific region, in what he described as “an attempt to go beyond its geographic sphere of influence”.