Putin meets China’s new defence chief in Moscow, hails military cooperation

Russian President Vladimir Putin met with China’s new defence chief Li Shangfu in Moscow on April 16, 2023, with both sides hailing closer military cooperation between the two nations. The meeting followed Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to Moscow in March. Li said China was willing to work with Russia to strengthen bilateral cooperation in politics, the economy, as well as culture. The visit was the first by a Chinese defence minister since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.