Russia and China held “substantive” defense and military talks to bolster ties, Russia’s defense minister said on Tuesday, as Moscow and Beijing cement a “no limits” partnership and step up criticism of U.S. efforts to extend its influence in Asia. 

“The military departments of Russia and China are united in their assessments of global processes, and they have a common understanding of what needs to be done in the current situation,” a post on the Russian defense ministry’s Telegram messaging app cited Defense Minister Andrei Belousov as saying.  

Belousov said he met with China’s central military commission vice chairman, Zhang Youxia for “very substantive” talks.  

China’s Defense Ministry said after the meeting that both sides hope to deepen and expand military relations and maintain high-level exchanges. 

Belousov’s visit to Beijing took place as China’s military vowed to take further action against Taiwan if needed after staging a day of war games it said were a warning to “separatist acts” and which drew condemnation from the Taiwanese and U.S. governments. 

China and Russia declared a “no limits” partnership in February 2022 when President Vladimir Putin visited Beijing less than three weeks before his forces launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, triggering the deadliest land war in Europe since World War II. 

In May this year, Putin and China’s Xi Jinping pledged a “new era” of partnership between the two most powerful rivals of the United States, which they cast as an aggressive Cold War hegemon sowing chaos across the world. 

Putin and Xi also agreed to deepen their “strategic partnership,” Belousov said, without providing detail, adding he is confident that “fruitful work and the adoption of significant, weighty decisions are ahead.” 

Russia said last week it was standing alongside China on Asian issues, including the criticism of the U.S. drive to extend its influence and “deliberate attempts” to inflame the situation around Taiwan.  

The U.S. says China is supporting Russia’s war effort in Ukraine by supplying so-called dual use goods, including microelectronics, that can help it build weapons. China says it has not provided weaponry to any party, and that normal trade with Russia should not be interrupted or restricted. 

(Reuters reporting by Lidia Kelly in Melbourne; Additional reporting by Farah Master and the Beijing newsroom; Editing by Tom Hogue and Lincoln Feast.) 
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