"Chinese Defense Minister Li Shangfu held a meeting with Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Navy Nikolay Yevmenov in Beijing on July 3," the ministry said in a statement.
During the meeting, the minister expressed the hope that China will expand cooperation with the Russian Navy to jointly contribute to maintaining peace and stability in the region and across the world, the statement read.
The Russian navy commander-in-chief, in turn, told the Chinese defense head during the meeting that Russia attaches great importance to the strengthening of cooperation between the military of the two countries, as quoted by the Chinese ministry.
Russia is also ready to expand contacts with the Chinese Navy at all levels and conduct joint exercises and patrols, Yevmenov was quoted as saying.