China’s Last Top General Meets Russia’s Defense Chief as Beijing and Moscow Deepen Military Ties

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A Pledge of "Mutual Trust"

According to China's Defense Ministry, Zhang told Belousov that Beijing wants to strengthen strategic communication and trust with Moscow in military matters. He described relations between the two countries as entering a new stage of faster development.

Zhang also said both countries should safeguard their "sovereignty, security and development interests" and help preserve regional and international stability. Belousov, for his part, said the partnership had reached an "unprecedentedly high level," according to Russia's Defense Ministry. He credited the personal ties between Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping.

It was Zhang's first publicly known meeting with a foreign minister since his Politburo promotion. Before that, in September, he met the defense ministers of Vietnam and Indonesia on the sidelines of a regional security forum in Beijing.

Why Zhang Shengmin Matters

Zhang, 67, is now the most powerful uniformed officer in China. The Central Military Commission (CMC) is the body that commands the armed forces and is chaired by Xi himself. It was meant to have seven members after the 2022 reshuffle. Today only two remain: Xi and Zhang.

The others were removed in an anti-corruption campaign. Among them was former top vice chair Zhang Youxia, who was detained in January and later expelled from the party. Zhang Shengmin was promoted to replace He Weidong, who had been expelled earlier on corruption charges.

Zhang Shengmin led the military's internal discipline watchdog from 2017 until July 2026. That made him the chief enforcer of the purges now reshaping the army. On October 29, a Central Committee meeting added him to the Politburo, the roughly 20-member body at the top of the party. It was the first top-level restocking in more than three decades. Zhang is now the only military man in that body, which had no military members after January.

Strategy or Show of Strength?

Observers note that China's leadership is tightening control ahead of a party congress planned for 2027. Gutting the military's top ranks leaves Xi with fewer rivals but also with a thinner and untested command. Critics argue that a purge on this scale raises questions about stability and readiness inside the People's Liberation Army (PLA). Beijing presents the campaign as a clean-up of corruption.

The Beijing–Moscow relationship has deepened since Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine. China calls itself a neutral party and has never condemned the attack, calling instead for peace talks. Defense ministers on both sides have met repeatedly this year. Dong Jun visited Moscow in April, and the two ministers held a video call in January.

What Comes Next

The visit comes shortly before the APEC summit in Shenzhen on November 18–19. Russian officials have also said a three-way meeting of Putin, Xi and US President Donald Trump is under discussion for later this month. According to the Financial Times, as reported by The Moscow Times, both Washington and Moscow are pressing Beijing to agree. The same report cites a source saying Russia expects no real breakthrough on Ukraine from such a meeting. Neither the meeting nor its agenda has been confirmed.

Whether the closer military ties lead to concrete steps, such as joint exercises or more arms cooperation, remains to be seen. Both governments so far speak only in general terms about "cooperation."

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Sources

1. South China Morning Post – "China promotes General Zhang Shengmin, a key player in PLA anti-graft drive, to Politburo": https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3372591/china-promotes-general-zhang-shengmin-politburo
2. AFP via Hong Kong Free Press – "Zhang Shengmin, Xi's lone 'hatchet man' at the top of China's military" (1 Nov 2026): https://hongkongfp.com/2026/11/01/who-is-zhang-shengmin/
3. AFP via The Standard – "Russian defence minister hails 'unprecedented' Beijing ties on China visit": https://www.thestandard.com.hk/china/article/347362/Russian-defence-minister-hails-unprecedented-Beijing-ties-on-China-visit
4. Bloomberg – "China Elevates Key Figure in Purges With Rare Politburo Pick" (29 Oct 2026): https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-10-29/china-names-vice-military-chair-as-new-politburo-member
5. The Moscow Times – "Russia, China and U.S. Summit Under Discussion, Kremlin Says" (3 Nov 2026): https://themoscowtimes.com/2026/11/03/russia-china-and-us-summit-under-discussion-kremlin-says-a94163
6. Chinese Ministry of National Defense, via GlobalSecurity – Dong Jun–Belousov talks in Moscow (24 April 2026): https://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/library/news/china/2026/04/china-260424-prc-mnd01.htm

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