BEIJING, February 22. /TASS/. The Russian Armed Forces and the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) are closely cooperating and steadily developing collaboration, Defense Attache of the Russian Embassy in Beijing Alexey Lipilin said at a reception on the occasion of Defender of the Fatherland Day.

"Today, in addressing global and regional challenges, we stand shoulder to shoulder with our strategic partner, China. Our armed forces are steadily increasing cooperation," Lipilin said. He noted that the armed forces of the two countries conduct joint exercises, sea and air patrols. The attache pointed to the growing intensity of exchanges between delegations of the Russian and Chinese militaries. "This course is determined by our leaders, and we will strictly follow it," Lipilin emphasized.

"On this day, we honor the deeds of our fathers and grandfathers who defended Russia's freedom and independence," the attache continued. "We express our gratitude and respect to our comrades-in-arms who perform military service and protect the interests of our country, including in the course of the special military operation."

Military attaches from friendly countries, including CIS, Asian, African and South American nations, and representatives of the PLA were invited to the reception in honor of Defender of the Fatherland Day. The Chinese delegation was headed by Lieutenant General Jing Jianfeng, deputy chief of the Joint Staff of the Central Military Council.

On January 31, Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu and Chinese Defense Minister Dong Jun, who was appointed to the post at the end of December 2023, spoke via video link. Shoigu said that Russian-Chinese relations are experiencing the best period in their history. He noted that the coordination of efforts between the two countries has had a stabilizing effect on the international environment. Dong expressed hope for the development of military cooperation with Russia and pointed out that pressure by the United States and Europe on China would not be able to prevent it.