Li departed Monday on the six-day trip, during which he will deliver an address at the Moscow Conference on International Security and meet with defense leaders from Russia and other nations, the Defense Ministry said on its social media account, citing spokesperson Col. Wu Qian, according to the Associated Press.
Russian Foreign Ministry Sergey Lavrov is due to speak at the conference on the topic of the “Majority World countries' search for ways to development outside Western mechanisms, including strengthening multilateral associations of a new type,” Russia's official TASS news agency was quoted as reporting.
According to the report, representatives from about 100 countries and eight international organizations had been invited to attend the conference.
Li's attendance underscores the drive by China and Russia to align their foreign policies in a bid to undermine the Western-led liberal-democratic world order.
That will be followed by a visit to close Russian ally Belarus.
China has vowed it is neutral in the conflict, but has accused the US and its allies of provoking Russia and has maintained robust economic, diplomatic and trade ties with Moscow.
Li, who is barred from visiting the US over arms sales he oversaw with Russia, visited Russia just last month to reaffirm military relations in the first formal military talks between the friendly neighbors since a short-lived mutiny by Russian mercenary group Wagner.
MNA/PR
Your Comment