April 16, 2023

Chinese State Councilor and Minister of National Defense Li Shangfu is scheduled to start his four-day visit to Russia on Sunday, his first foreign trip in his new position, with experts saying the trip will deepen bilateral military ties and contribute to peace and stability of major international and regional hotspot issues amid a complex security environment.

At the invitation of Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, Li will pay an official visit to Russia from Sunday to Wednesday, during which he will hold talks with Russian military leaders and visit Russian military academies, Senior Colonel Tan Kefei, a spokesperson at China's Ministry of National Defense, said in a press release on Friday.

China-Russia military ties have been kept at a high level under the strategic leadership of the two heads of state in recent years, as new progress has been made in strategic communication, joint exercises and pragmatic cooperation, continuously enriching the strategic connotations of the comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for a new era between the two countries, Tan said.

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