BEIJING (Reuters) – China and Russia need to continue to strengthen coordination in international and regional affairs, President Xi Jinping told Sergei Shoigu, the secretary of Russia’s Security Council, in Beijing on Friday, Chinese state media reported.
China and Russia should maintain close communications at various levels, Xi said, adding that both countries will usher in “a series of significant agendas”.
In a separate meeting on Friday with Shoigu, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Sino-Russia relations would remain “rock-solid and unshakable”, a statement from the Chinese foreign ministry said.
The two sides agreed to hold a new round of strategic security consultations at an appropriate time, it added.
Russia’s Security Council later issued a statement saying both sides had said any extension of influence and activity of the NATO alliance into Asia was unacceptable.
“It was stressed that the spread of the zone of responsibility for NATO into the Asia-Pacific region was unacceptable…,” the statement said.
The statement also said that Shoigu and Xi had agreed they were prepared for new rounds of consultations on strategic security at different levels.
Also discussed were preparations for commemorations in Moscow in May of the 80th anniversary of the World War Two victory over Nazi Germany.
(Reporting by Xiuhao Chen and Ryan Woo; Editing by Kevin Liffey, Ron Popeski and Bill Berkrot)
