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China’s defence chief pushes PLA as force for peace during Russia trip, blames US for ‘chaos and disaster’
- General Li Shangfu says Chinese military to work closely with partners on hi-tech weapons, counterterrorism and joint drills
- His Russian counterpart praises Beijing’s ‘big, serious’ advancements in weapons on display at Army 2023 expo in Moscow
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China’s military will work more closely with other countries on hi-tech weapons and equipment, logistics support and international counterterrorism, the country’s defence minister said on Tuesday during a trip to Moscow.
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At the Moscow Conference on International Security, General Li Shangfu also said in a speech that China was willing to hold more military exercises and training with other countries and expand the scope of the drills.
These combined exercises are a core part of China’s military diplomacy.
China is trying to portray its People’s Liberation Army (PLA) as a force for peace and a reliable partner, especially for the Global South, but its opaqueness and occasional near-misses with other militaries have created mistrust.
Li said China would also cooperate with Iran and Belarus, a new member and member-to-be, respectively, of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), a Eurasian economic and security grouping led by Russia and China.
He again promoted the Global Security Initiative, China’s blueprint for resolving world conflicts, which confronts certain foreign policy principles of the West, such as the use of unilateral sanctions.
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