NOVO-OGARYOVO, November 8. /TASS/. China respects Russia for the way it has withstood Western sanctions, Vice Chairman of China’s Central Military Commission Zhang Youxia said at a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

"Under your leadership, the Russian Federation perseveres in the face of <...> Western sanctions. This shows that no difficulty is too great for Russia. The Chinese side respects this," Zhang Youxia said, according to footage from the meeting shown by the Rossiya-24 TV channel.

According to the Chinese defense official, this time the Chinese military delegation came to Russia to implement important agreements between the leaders of the two countries, hold a regular meeting on military-technical cooperation and strengthen bilateral military cooperation.

"Let me convey warm greetings and best wishes on behalf of [Chinese] President [Xi Jinping]," Zhang Youxia said. "In 2013 and 2017, I had the great honor of meeting with you twice. Today, after six years, I am very honored to meet with you again," he emphasized.

Earlier in the day, the official met with Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu. During the meeting, the Russian minister said that relations between Moscow and Beijing are a model of strategic interaction based on trust and respect. He noted that the two countries are not forming a military bloc. Zhang Youxia, for his part, said that China-Russia relations of comprehensive partnership and strategic interaction have reached a level never-before-seen in this era.

On September 30, Zhang Youxia and Shoigu met on the sidelines of the 10th Xiangshan Security Forum in Beijing. At that time, the Chinese defense official said that the country was ready to actively respond to various security threats and challenges together with Russia, and jointly maintain global strategic balance and stability.