MOSCOW, December 24. /TASS/. Russia and China this year have notably stepped up military ties and their military-technical cooperation has acquired a new dimension, Deputy Defense Minister Anatoly Antonov told the media on Wednesday.

“Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu’s visit to Beijing played a key role in this sense. The importance of joint staff exercises on land and on the high seas was noted. Decisions were made to enhance cooperation in military medicine, personnel training and the military-technical sphere,” Antonov recalled.

Beijing, he said, has developed greater awareness of the harmful effects of the US missile defense system on security in the region. “This expands room for our interaction, including that in the international scene,” he remarked.

Russia-China military-technical cooperation is acquiring a new dimension and becomes oriented towards cooperation in advanced technologies and know-how.