China and Russia Commit to Strengthening Strategic Defense Ties

China’s Defence Minister Dong Jun conveyed to his Russian counterpart that both countries should “strengthen strategic coordination” during a video call on Tuesday, according to state broadcaster CCTV. This came days after negotiators from Russia and Ukraine held their first meeting in nearly four years since Moscow’s invasion of the country, which Western governments accuse Beijing of enabling.

Dong stated, “China is willing to work with Russia to strengthen strategic coordination, enrich the substance of cooperation, improve exchange mechanisms,” during his conversation with Andrey Belousov. CCTV did not mention discussions regarding the Ukraine conflict in their readout.

While China and Russia are close partners, they maintain a neutral stance on the war in Ukraine despite never condemning the invasion. Western governments accuse Beijing of providing Russia with crucial economic support for its military effort, primarily by supplying components to Russia’s defense industry.

Russian and Ukrainian negotiators held a two-day meeting in Abu Dhabi from Friday to Saturday to discuss a peace plan proposed by United States President Donald Trump. Trump also highlighted the threat of Chinese and Russian influence in the Arctic as part of his desire to acquire Greenland.