Dong told Andrei Belousov that Beijing was willing to “enrich the substance of cooperation, improve communication and exchange mechanisms, jointly enhance the ability to respond to various risks and challenges and work hand in hand to inject positive energy into global security and stability,” according to a statement released by the Ministry of Defence.

Belousov said Moscow was willing to deepen practical cooperation in areas such as joint operations and personnel training as well as promote bilateral strategic coordination to a higher level to better safeguard their shared interests, according to the Chinese read-out.