China said Thursday it was ready to “expand practical cooperation” with the Russian army.

Axar.az reports, citing AFP, on Thursday, in response to a question linked to Xi’s visit asking how China would promote military-to-military ties with Russia, the defence ministry said the relationship was “operating at a high level.”

“The Chinese military stands ready to work with the Russian side to further deepen strategic mutual trust, step up strategic communication, and expand practical cooperation,” defence ministry spokesman Jiang Bin said in a response posted to social media platform WeChat.

The moves would “enrich the content of China–Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for a new era,” Jiang said.

He added that they would also “contribute to maintaining and strengthening global strategic stability.”