China defence minister vows greater 'strategic coordination' with Russia

Beijing: China's Defence Minister Dong Jun told his Russian counterpart that the two countries should "strengthen strategic coordination" during a video call on Tuesday, according to state broadcaster CCTV.

The call came days after negotiators from Russia and Ukraine met for the first time to discuss an end to the war -- nearly four years after Moscow's invasion -- which Western governments accuse Beijing of enabling.

"China is willing to work with Russia to ... strengthen strategic coordination, enrich the substance of cooperation, improve exchange mechanisms", Dong told his Russian counterpart Andrey Belousov, according to CCTV.


Dong also said the two countries should "jointly enhance the ability to respond to various risks and challenges and join hands to inject positive energy into global security and stability".

There was no mention of the Ukraine conflict in the readout reported by CCTV.

China and Russia are close partners, and while Beijing has said it takes a neutral stance on the war in Ukraine, it has never condemned the invasion.

Western governments accuse Beijing of providing Russia with crucial economic support for its war effort, notably by supplying military components for its defence industry.

Russian and Ukrainian negotiators held a two-day meeting in Abu Dhabi on Friday and Saturday to discuss a peace plan pushed by US President Donald Trump.

Trump has also pointed to the threat of Chinese and Russian influence in the Arctic as part of the reason for his desire to acquire Greenland.