Sergei Shoigu, the secretary of Russia’s Security Council, will travel to China next week for high-level consultations with top Chinese officials, Russian state news agencies confirmed.
The visit, scheduled for November 11-14, will focus on strategic security matters and further deepening Russia-China cooperation amid the ongoing war in Ukraine.
Shoigu’s meetings with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi are expected to address “current problems of international and regional security,” with discussions spanning a wide range of topics related to military and bilateral cooperation. The visit is part of Moscow and Beijing’s growing partnership, which has been particularly strengthened since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine nearly three years ago. Chinese President Xi Jinping has become one of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s most significant allies on the global stage.
In addition to talks with Wang Yi, Shoigu will meet with Chen Wenqing, China’s top security official and the head of the Central Political and Legal Affairs Commission, a powerful body within the ruling Communist Party.
Shoigu, who served as Russia's defence minister during the first two years of the Ukraine conflict, was reassigned to the Security Council after facing criticism and setbacks in the Russian military campaign.
His visit to China underscores the continuing importance of Moscow-Beijing relations, particularly in the realms of security and defense.
