Top Chinese general meets Russian defence minister days after Politburo appointment

Zhang Shengmin, China's top uniformed general, met with Russian Defence Minister Andrey Belousov in Beijing on Tuesday. This marked Zhang's first publicly confirmed encounter with a foreign official since he joined the Politburo. As vice-chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC), Zhang expressed his intention to bolster military cooperation and strategic coordination with Russia during their meeting.

He was appointed to the Politburo just last week during a significant Communist Party gathering, a rare midterm appointment.

Zhang commended the "quality improvement" and "upgrading" of military ties between China and Russia, stating that these relationships had kept pace with the broader bilateral relationship. He cited fruitful outcomes from high-level exchanges and joint exercises and training. Zhang also expressed China's readiness to collaborate with Russia to enhance strategic communication, boost mutual trust in military matters, and investigate novel areas of cooperation.

Russian Defence Minister Belousov echoed Zhang's sentiments, asserting that China-Russia relations had attained an "unprecedentedly high level" under the strategic guidance of their respective leaders. He emphasized that the partnership was crucial to peace, stability, and prosperity for both nations and the global community. Belousov highlighted Russia's commitment to maintaining close coordination with China, strengthening strategic consultations, mutually supporting each other, and expanding practical cooperation in areas like military education and scientific and technological innovation.

Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, both countries have continued to engage in high-level military exchanges. Zhang's predecessor as CMC vice-chairman, Zhang Youxia, participated in multiple meetings with his Russian counterparts prior to being removed from his position earlier this year due to the ongoing anti-corruption campaign. Zhang Shengmin is currently the sole surviving member of the CMC, apart from President Xi Jinping, following the anti-corruption campaign's ramifications.