Russia's defence minister is in China for talks aimed at further developing military and technical co-operation between the two countries.
Sergei Ivanov is meeting his Chinese counterpart Cao Gangchuan.
Mr Ivanov was quoted by Russian news agency Interfax as saying he believed the talks would open up what he called new and promising spheres.
Since the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, China has become the main customer for Russian arms makers.
The two defence ministers are to preside over meetings of an intergovernmental commission on defence industry co-operation, according to Russian news reports.
Agencies say that the weapons trade between the two countries this year will amount to $2bn (£1.04bn).
Over the past five years Russia and China have signed $5bn (£2.6bn) worth of contracts including deals on fighter planes, diesel electric submarines, warships and anti-aircraft missile launchers, Interfax reports.
Given that the United States wants Ukraine to be a model for Russia or in other words for Russia to be taken over through a bogus democratic election so that we may continue our efforts to rape the Russian people through the stealing and control of their energy reserves I would think Putin has a ‘weapon’ in the possible selling of offensive weapons to China. #msg-4740188
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Russia, China to discuss defence cooperation :
Moscow, Dec 12 : Defence cooperation, global and regional security are issues which are likely to figure during talks Russian Defence Minister Sergei Ivanov will hold with his Chinese counterpart Cao Gangchaun during his visit to China.
Ivanov, who left for Beijing today on a three-day visit, is to co-chair the 11th session of joint inter-governmental commission for military and technical cooperation with Gangchuan to discuss the prospects for deepening bilateral cooperation.
Ivanov is scheduled to have separate meetings with Gangchuan and Deputy Chairman of China's Central Military Command, Guo Boxiong on a wide range of issues pertaining to global and regional security, according to the Russian Defence Ministry.
Along with India, China is Russia's biggest arms customer. However, unlike in the case of New Delhi, Moscow has been selective in supplying military hardware and defence technologies to Beijing.
China has been pressing for the sale of 'offensive' weapons for its land forces, which so far Russia has been denying, according to government press agency 'RIA Novosti'.
"Russia is under heavy pressure to retain Chinese market in view of a widely anticipated lifting ban on arms sale to China by the EU. However, EU's unexpected decision not to lift the ban has freed Russia from making a tough choice between selling or not selling the arms, which it does not want to sell," a defence source was quoted as saying by Novosti. PTI
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