Hong Kong CNN  — 

The US should take notice of China and Russia’s increasingly close military ties, a top Chinese official said Tuesday.

Gen. Wei Fenghe, China’s new defense minister, gave the remarks in Moscow following a meeting with Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu, according to Russian state news agency TASS.

“I am visiting Russia as a new defense minister of China to show the world a high level of development of our bilateral relations and firm determination of our armed forces to strengthen strategic cooperation,” Wei said.

“The Chinese side has come (to Moscow) to show Americans the close ties between the armed forces of China and Russia … we’ve come to support you.”

Wei added that Beijing is ready to express with Moscow “our common concerns and common position on important international problems at international venues as well.”

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, left, and China's Defense Minister Wei Fenghe review an honour guard prior to their talks in Moscow, Russia, Tuesday, April 3, 2018.

The unusually candid remarks come amid ongoing closeness between Moscow and Beijing, with Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin promising in November to enhance bilateral ties and cooperation on international affairs.

Putin is due to visit China later this year, for his first meetings with senior Chinese officials since being elected for a fourth term.

At a UN meeting in September, the foreign ministers of both countries criticized Washington for its aggressive stance in global affairs, and said there was an ongoing transition to a “multipolar world” without a single superpower.

While the Sino-Russian relationship has been rocky in the past, Beijing upped its support for Moscow in the wake of intense Western sanctions following the Russian annexation of Crimea.

This picture from North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) taken on March 27, 2018 and released on March 28, 2018 shows China's President Xi Jinping (R) shaking hands with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Beijing.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un was treated to a lavish welcome by Chinese President Xi Jinping during a secretive trip to Beijing as both sides seek to repair frayed ties ahead of landmark summits with Seoul and Washington.  / AFP PHOTO / KCNA VIA KNS / - / South Korea OUT / REPUBLIC OF KOREA OUT   ---EDITORS NOTE--- RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - MANDATORY CREDIT "AFP PHOTO/KCNA VIA KNS" - NO MARKETING NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS - DISTRIBUTED AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS
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How close are China and North Korea?
02:08 - Source: CNN

Both countries have long supported each other at the United Nations on issues such as North Korea and Syria, where they are in opposition to or disagreement with the US.

Wei was appointed China’s defense minister last month, part of a raft of sweeping changes enacted by Xi, including the lifting of term limits on the office of the presidency.

Reforming China’s military has been a key goal of Xi’s, who recently called for the People’s Liberation Army to be strengthened “with science and technology and rule-based governance.”

Moscow too, has sought to build up its fighting power. In early March, Russia tested a new missile Putin claimed would render NATO defenses “completely useless.”