China pushes for closer defence ties with Russia in ministers' talks

Chinese Defence Minister Dong Jun held a video conference on January 27 with his Russian counterpart, Andrei Belousov, to discuss key aspects of bilateral defence collaboration.

The talks focused on strengthening the strategic partnership between Beijing and Moscow and enhancing military-to-military cooperation between the two countries, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media.

"China is willing to work with Russia to earnestly implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state, strengthen strategic coordination, enrich the substance of cooperation, and improve exchange mechanisms," Dong Jun noted.

Since the end of the Cold War, China and Russia have steadily expanded military cooperation through large arms sales and increasingly complex joint exercises, with Beijing acquiring advanced Russian aircraft, submarines and air-defence systems while training and coordinating forces together.

After Russia’s 2014 annexation of Crimea, Moscow’s pivot toward Beijing deepened defence ties; Russian systems helped modernise the People’s Liberation Army, and joint drills became larger and more frequent as both countries sought to offset Western influence.

In 2019, the leaders elevated relations to a “comprehensive strategic partnership,” creating regular high‑level military consultations and expanding joint land, air and naval exercises as part of strategic coordination.

By 2024–25, China‑Russia joint military activity had grown in scale and geographic scope, with dozens of exercises in multiple domains, especially naval and aerial drills, showcasing interoperability and signalling a de facto alignment on global security issues.

By Jeyhun Aghazada