As of: February 2, 2024, 7:58 a.m
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On Wednesday, the foreign ministers of Russia and China, Sergei Shoigu and Dong Jun, exchanged views in a video conference.
© Dmitry Kharichkov/Russian Defense Ministry/Imago
The Chinese Defense Minister sets priorities: Dong Jun's first telephone conversation with a counterpart was with the Russian Sergei Shoigu.
China's new Defense Minister Dong Jun spoke to his Russian counterpart Sergei Shoigu for the first time since taking office.
At a video conference, he assured Russia of his country's support in the Ukraine war.
“We have supported you on the Ukrainian issue, although the US and Europe continue to put pressure on the Chinese side,” Dong said on Wednesday, according to Russian news agency TASS.
“We will not change or abandon our established political course.”
China always claims to take a neutral position in the conflict, but had openly sided with Russia at the beginning of the war.
Dong's words show this again.
To this day, Beijing refuses to speak of a war or condemn the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
The People's Republic also maintains regular contacts with the Russian government;
Conversations with Ukraine, however, are extremely rare.
At the same time, Beijing is benefiting from the war: through cheaper Russian energy supplies and rapidly growing trade between the two countries - but also because Beijing sees the USA and the West in general as weakened by the war.
This is in line with China's desire to become a world power itself.
“The USA keeps targeting Russia and China”
In an interview with Shoigu, Dong now claimed that “the US keeps targeting Russia and China and trying to maintain its hegemony around the world.”
However, this attempt is “doomed to failure”.
Shoigu, in turn, stated that “Russia-China relations are currently in the best phase of their history.”
Russia's Foreign Minister also praised the cooperation between the Russian military and the Chinese People's Liberation Army, which is "continually developing in all areas."
According to the Chinese Ministry of Defense, Dong Jun said the militaries of both countries want to "raise their relations to a higher level" in order to "resolutely respond to global challenges."
Marine General Dong Jun took office at the end of December;
The phone call with Shoigu was his first official contact with a foreign counterpart.
In China, the defense minister functions primarily as a public representative of the military.
He has no real power because decision-making authority over military affairs lies with state and party leader Xi Jinping, who is also chairman of the country's Central Military Commission.
Dong Jun succeeded Li Shangfu, who disappeared in the fall after only about six months in office and was later removed from office.
Where Li is and what he is accused of remains unclear.
However, observers assume that Li is accused of corruption.
China's corruption investigators are currently primarily focusing on the country's missile forces.
Two senior commanders were removed from office in August, and at the turn of the year a further eleven high-ranking military officers were excluded from central political committees, including five members of the missile force.
(sh)