BEIJING, October 14. /TASS/. The armed forces of China and Russia should firmly defend the shared interests of the two countries and work together to ensure global strategic stability, Chinese Defense Minister Dong Jun said at a meeting with his Russian counterpart Andrey Belousov in the Chinese capital.
"The militaries of the PRC and Russia should follow the direction set by the two heads of state, deepen strategic cooperation, improve the quality and efficiency of collaboration, facilitate the continuous development of bilateral military-to-military relations, firmly defend the common interests of the two countries, and stand side by side in ensuring global strategic stability," he said, according to a post by the Chinese Defense Ministry on its account on the WeChat social network.
The defense minister mentioned that this year marks the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Russia. He said that over the years, friendship between Beijing and Moscow "passed the test of strength."
"Under the firm leadership of Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin, China-Russia relations have reached the highest level ever," Dong Jun stated.
He said the high level of mutual trust and the depth of pragmatic cooperation between China and Russia should be viewed as "a model for partnerships between great powers."
Prior to the meeting, the defense ministers of China and Russia jointly reviewed the honor guard of the Chinese People's Liberation Army.