Russian President Putin meets Chinese Defense Minister Shangfu at the Kremlin, March 16, 2023 (EFE)

In a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese Defense Minister Li Shangfu said the proliferation of Russian-Chinese bilateral military and technical cooperation contributes to Global Security.

"Cooperation between Russia and China in military and technical areas has been developing very well recently. It makes a great contribution to security, [both] global and regional," Li said.

Shangfu then underlined that the People's Republic of China remained steadfast in its commitment to cooperating with Russia for global prosperity.

"We are standing shoulder to shoulder and working to improve the well-being of our peoples. Considering that economic recovery is very slow, and the world is very turbulent, there is a great need for peace, peaceful relations between countries," the top defense official said.

"Cooperation [with Russia] is developing at all levels, and we will continue this cooperation for the development and prosperity of the world," he added.

Shangfu said that the ties between Moscow and Beijing transcend Cold War campism. Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin "are bound by friendship and everyone in China knows this," the Chinese minister said.

Li Shangfu, who was appointed minister of defense only recently in March, said he had chosen Russia as the destination of his first foreign visit to "emphasize the special nature and strategic importance of our bilateral relations."

General Li Shangfu has been under US sanctions since 2018 for allegedly purchasing SU-35 fighter jets and S-400 anti-air systems from Russia's main defense exporter, Rosoboronexport, in addition to other military hardware.

Li's appointment comes amid escalated tensions between the US and China as Washington is attempting to corner the Asian giant by militarizing countries in the Asia-Pacific, such as Japan and South Korea, in addition to establishing an unofficial bloc consisting of the US international allies to restrict Beijing's access to vital technologies such as semiconductors and limiting trade with it.

Moreover, the Chinese Foreign Ministry has underlined on numerous occasions that it would not allow for pressure on Chinese-Russian ties.

"We never accept the US's finger-pointing or even coercion targeting China-Russia relations," the foreign ministry said. The United States, as a major power, should "work for a political settlement of the [Ukraine] crisis instead of fanning the flames or profiteering from the situation."