"I am confident that our meeting will contribute to further strengthening trustworthy relations between the Armed Forces of Russia and China in the spirit of comprehensive partnership and strategic interaction," Gerasimov said.

The chief of Russia’s General Staff made this statement at a meeting with Commander of the Chinese Army’s Ground Forces Colonel-General Han Weiguo in Moscow.

MOSCOW, June 13. /TASS/. The Russian and Chinese armies intend to develop bilateral cooperation in the spirit of comprehensive partnership and strategic interaction, Chief of Russia’s General Staff Army General Valery Gerasimov said on Thursday.

The defense ministries of Russia and China regularly hold joint operational and combat training measures, negotiations between representatives of the General Staffs, interact with representatives of the two armies’ military branches and services and continue cooperation between military educational institutions, the chief of Russia’s General Staff stressed.

"Thanks to the efforts of the Russian and Chinese leaders, today our relationships are reaching an unprecedentedly high level and becoming an important factor of stability and international security," Gerasimov said.

Last year, the leaders of Russia and China held four meetings and this year they have already met twice, he recalled.

"We are paying special attention to the implementation of accords reached at the highest level on developing cooperation in the military sphere," the chief of Russia’s General Staff said.

The Russian side is also content with its interaction with China within the international multilateral military format of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and the ADMM-Plus (meetings between defense ministers of ASEAN member countries and dialogue partners), Gerasimov noted.

In turn, Han Weiguo said the Chinese Ground Forces were ready to develop cooperation with their Russian counterparts. As he told the chief of Russia’s General Staff, he had studied at the Frunze All-Arms Military Academy in Moscow in 2002.

"I am glad that 17 years after, I have returned to Moscow and visited my alma-mater Academy," the Chinese commander said.