We Came “to Let US Know” About Close Military Ties With Russia

Beijing has sent a delegation to Russia to show Washington the unity of Russian and Chinese military forces and “support” Russia at the 7th Moscow Conference on International Security.

Chinese Defense Minister Wei Fenghe, who arrived in Moscow alongside Foreign Minister Wang Yi, voiced strong support for Russia during the talks with his Russian counterpart, Sergey Shoigu. While stressing “the united position” on the international arena, the minister said that one of the main goals of the visit was to send a message to Western powers, RT reported.

“The Chinese side came to let the Americans know about the close ties between the Russian and Chinese armed forces,” Wei said.

It is General Wei’s first foreign trip since he was appointed head of the Chinese Defense Ministry. The choice of the destination is not a coincidence, but underlines the “special character” of the bilateral partnership, according to Shoigu.

Meanwwhile, The Russian Ministry of Defense announced on Monday that Russia tested an upgrade for its A-135 anti-ballistic missile system, a sophisticated missile shield designed to block Moscow from air and space attacks, in Kazakhstan, Newsweek reported.

Major General Andrei Prikhodko, deputy commander of the Russian air force’s air and missile defense task force, told Russian Ministry of Defense newspaper Krasnaya Zvezda that the system “successfully accomplished the task and engaged the conventional target at the assigned time.”

Russia also conducted the sixth flight test for A-135’s successor, the A-235 PL-19 Nudol anti-ballistic missile system, The Diplomat reported, citing US defense officials with knowledge of Russia’s weapons development program. The March 26 test took place at Plesetsk Cosmodrome, where Russia tested the RS-28 Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile, termed “Satan 2” by the NATO Western military alliance.

The test was reportedly the first to demonstrate the A-235’s direct ascent anti-satellite weapon launched from the transporter-erector-launcher system. The A-235 is just one of many next-generation weapons being built as part of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s push to modernize and enhance his country’s armed forces.