China ready to ‘expand practical cooperation' with Russia
President Xi Jinping said both nations stood firm against 'hegemonic bullying'. (RIA Novosti/AP pic)
BEIJING : China said on Thursday it was ready to 'expand practical cooperation' with the Russian army, after President Xi Jinping's recent visit to Moscow for a lavish World War II Victory Day parade.
The two countries have drawn closer in recent years since Moscow launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Xi's trip to Russia last week drew ire from Kyiv's allies, who have accused Beijing of giving Moscow economic and political cover to wage a war of aggression.
Beijing says it is a neutral party to the conflict and has made indefatigable efforts for peace.
On Thursday, in response to a question linked to Xi's visit asking how China would promote military-to-military ties with Russia, the defence ministry said the relationship was 'operating at a high level'.
'The Chinese military stands ready to work with the Russian side to further deepen strategic mutual trust, step up strategic communication, and expand practical cooperation,' defence ministry spokesman Jiang Bin said in a response posted to social media platform WeChat.
The moves would 'enrich the content of China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for a new era', Jiang said.
He added that they would also 'contribute to maintaining and strengthening global strategic stability'.
After a lengthy meeting with President Vladimir Putin on his trip, Xi said China's ties with Russia brought 'positive energy' to a turbulent world.
He added that both nations stood firm against 'hegemonic bullying' – an apparent swipe at the United States.
Putin, for his part, told reporters he and Xi had held 'traditionally warm, friendly' talks and addressed the Chinese leader as his 'dear friend'.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Star
an hour ago
- The Star
Xi urges South Korea's Lee to help safeguard free trade in call
BEIJING: Chinese President Xi Jinping (pic) held his first phone conversation with South Korea's newly elected President Lee Jae-myung and called for cooperation to safeguard multilateralism and free trade. Xi made the remarks in a phone call with Lee, state-run Xinhua News Agency and China Central Television reported. Lee earlier said he was set to speak with Xi by phone on Tuesday (June 10). "We should strengthen bilateral cooperation and multilateral coordination, jointly safeguard multilateralism and free trade, and ensure the stability and smoothness of global and regional industrial chains and supply chains,' Xi said, according to the CCTV report. Xi said the two countries should promote their strategic partnership to a higher level and "inject more certainty' into the regional and international landscape, the reports said. The new South Korean leader has signalled a more cautious stance on the US-China rivalry, marking a shift from predecessor Yoon Suk-yeol's foreign policy, which emphasised closer ties with Washington and a trilateral partnership with Japan. - Bloomberg
Free Malaysia Today
2 hours ago
- Free Malaysia Today
China, South Korea must safeguard free trade, Xi tells Lee
Seoul has long trod a fine line between top trading partner China and defence guarantor the US. (Links pic) BEIJING : Chinese leader Xi Jinping urged South Korea's new President Lee Jae-myung today to work with Beijing to uphold free trade and defend 'multilateralism', state media said. 'In a phone call with Lee, Xi urged Beijing and Seoul to 'inject more certainty into regional and international situations',' Xinhua said, as well as to 'promote strategic cooperative partnership to a higher level'. 'A healthy, stable, and continuously deepening China–South Korea relationship aligns with the trend of the times,' Xi said. 'Close bilateral cooperation and multilateral coordination should be maintained to jointly uphold multilateralism and free trade, ensuring the stability and smooth functioning of global and regional industrial and supply chains,' the Chinese leader added. South Korea's new centre-left leader was elected in a landslide last week after winning a snap election triggered by his predecessor's disastrous martial law declaration. Seoul has long trod a fine line between top trading partner China and defence guarantor the US. Relations suffered under Lee's predecessor Yoon Suk Yeol, who cleaved close to the US and sought to improve ties with former colonial master Japan. However, both countries' export-driven economies have now found themselves in the crosshairs of US President Donald Trump's tariff blitz. Lee hinted on the campaign trail that he would seek to improve ties with Beijing. He has also raised alarm by saying that a future conflict between China and Taiwan would not be South Korea's concern.
Free Malaysia Today
2 hours ago
- Free Malaysia Today
Investors itching for progress in US-China talks
Signs of cooling wage growth could be a relief for Bank of England policymakers who are divided on the approach to further monetary policy easing. (EPA Images pic) LONDON : With precious little to report out of Sino-US trade talks in London, investors are ready to pounce on almost any sign that a thaw in the frigid relationship between the two superpowers is just around the corner. Stocks in Asia are creeping higher, as are US and European equity futures, while the dollar was also a tad firmer after President Donald Trump said he was getting 'good reports' from yesterday's meeting with China. Talks resume at 9am today at Lancaster House and markets want a deal to flesh out details around US tech export controls and those around Chinese rare earths, and of course, where the final average rate of tariffs will settle. Recent data indicates the trade war is taking a toll on both major economies, which could soon rattle other major economies. Global investors are also in the market for fresh trade deals, with about a month left before Trump's tariff pause expires. Also expected out of the UK will be an employment report with investors and the Bank of England (BoE) keen on how pay growth – a reflection of broader price pressures – fared in April. Signs of cooling wage growth could be a relief for BoE policymakers who are currently divided on the approach to further monetary policy easing. Meanwhile, the global healthcare sector was caught in the crossfire as vaccine sceptic US health secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr fired all members of a US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention panel of vaccine experts. The move could be a headache for companies such as GSK, Sanofi, AstraZeneca, Moderna and BioNTech as they face longer waits for vaccine approvals. Advertising firms weren't spared from scrutiny either as the Wall Street Journal reported that the US Federal Trade Commission has sought information from some of the industry's leading firms. Omnicom, WPP, Dentsu, Interpublic Group and Publicis Groupe were among those asked by the watchdog on whether advertising and advocacy groups violated antitrust laws by coordinating boycotts of certain sites. Key developments that could influence markets today include UK May British Retail Consortium sales, UK April employment data, the US 3-year Treasury note auction, and the Reserve Bank of Australia governance board meeting.
