Chinese minister’s tour underscores closer ties with Russia

By VLADIMIR ISACHENKOV
Associated Press

MOSCOW (AP) — China’s defense minister has toured the top Russian military academy on a visit to the Russian capital that underscores the increasingly close ties between Moscow and Beijing amid the fighting in Ukraine. Russian President Vladimir Putin hosted Gen. Li Shangfu in the Kremlin on Sunday, noting that his trip follows a “very productive” three-day state visit to Moscow by Chinese leader Xi Jinping. Putin emphasized that defense cooperation, including joint military drills, has helped “strengthen the trust-based strategic relationship” between the two countries. On Monday, Li visited the military academy of the Russian General Staff, the elite institution for training senior military officers.