China and Russia pledge deeper military cooperation as 30-year partnership hits new stage

China and Russia put their military friendship on display in Beijing on Tuesday, pledging to tighten cooperation as the two powers mark three decades of a strategic partnership. Russian Defense Minister Andrey Belousov made the trip to the Chinese capital and sat down with General Zhang Shengmin, vice chairman of China's Central Military Commission. Belousov didn't downplay the moment. He called the partnership "unprecedentedly high level," according to Chinese media, while Zhang said the relationship had entered a "new stage of more substantive engagement and faster development." The Chinese general framed the deepening ties as a stabilising force, pointing to growing military exchanges and joint exercises as proof the partnership is delivering. He pushed for stronger military trust and better coordination between the two forces. Belousov, for his part, pressed for closer consultations and mutual support, citing volatility in the Asia-Pacific. He also floated expanded cooperation in military education and technological innovation. Tuesday's meeting lands squarely on the 30-year anniversary of the two countries establishing their strategic partnership, a milestone both delegations used to frame the talks as a continuation rather than a departure. The defense chiefs' language signals the relationship is still accelerating, not plateauing.

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