A senior Russian defense official attended China’s main military showcase in a show of unity between the countries.

Sergei Shoigu, Secretary of the Security Council of the Russian Federation, visited the southern city of Zhuhai today to see Chinese and Russian aircraft and other military equipment.

These include Chinese J22 and J35A stealth fighters that China says rival the latest US aircraft of the same class.

Mr Shoigu, a former defense minister, appeared to be on a mission to reassert ties between the countries with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine seen as stalled and Moscow calling on North Korean soldiers to increase the number of troops.

China is not known to have directly provided military support to Russia, but has sold it dual-use technologies that could enhance its ability to attack Ukrainian targets.

China is also a major customer of Russian oil and gas amid international sanctions that block Moscow’s access to global financial markets.

Weeks before Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Vladimir Putin visited Beijing and the two sides signed a lengthy cooperation agreement committing to an open-ended partnership.

The countries have held several joint military exercises and aligned their foreign policies to challenge the US-led Western liberal order.