Russia, China agree to expand security ties

Moscow: A top Russian security official declared Monday on a visit to China that the Kremlin considers beefing up ties with Beijing as a top policy goal.

Nikolai Patrushev, secretary of the national Security Council chaired by Russian President Vladimir Putin, described the strengthening of comprehensive partnership and strategic cooperation with Beijing as an unconditional priority of Russia's foreign policy.

Patrushev is one of Putin's closest associates. Speaking during a meeting with Guo Shengkun, a top official of China's Communist Party, he said that in the current conditions, our countries must show even greater readiness for mutual support and development of cooperation.

Patrushev's office said in a statement after the talks in the city of Nanping that the parties agreed to expand information exchanges on countering extremism and foreign attempts to undermine constitutional order of both countries. The Chinese and Russian officials also emphasized a need to expand cooperation on cybersecurity.

Putin met with Chinese President Xi Jinping last week in Uzbekistan, their first encounter since the Russian leader sent troops into Ukraine in late February.

A Chinese government statement issued after the meeting didn't specifically mention Ukraine but said Xi promised strong support for Russia's core interests.

The statement did not give specifics, but Beijing uses core interests to describe issues such as national sovereignty and the ruling Communist Party's claim to Taiwan, over which it is willing to go to war.