BEIJING, May 16. /TASS/. Russia and China will continue to strengthen military cooperation and expand the scale of joint exercises and military training, according to a joint statement signed by Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese leader Xi Jinping.

"Moscow and Beijing will continue bolstering trust and cooperation in the military sphere and expand the scale of joint drills and military training," the document reads.

The two countries are also set to hold joint naval and air patrols on a regular basis, boost bilateral coordination and cooperation both bilaterally and multilaterally, and continue to raise the potential and level of joint responses to challenges and threats.

In the joint statement, Russia and China stated with satisfaction that the consistent development of their cooperation in defense based on a high level of mutual strategic trust "has made an efficient contribution to strengthening regional and global security."