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Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council Dmitry Medvedev attends a wreath-laying ceremony at the Monument to the People's Heroes in Tiananmen Square in Beijing, China on December 11, 2024. Photo: IC

Deputy Chairman of Russia's Security Council and leader of the ruling United Russia party Dmitry Medvedev began a two-day working visit to Beijing on Wednesday, where he was set to meet with senior Chinese officials. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning on Wednesday called the visit by Medvedev "an important high-level exchange between China and Russia," suggesting that details of the visit will be released in a timely manner.  

Medvedev arrived in the Chinese capital late on Tuesday night. He was welcomed by Liu Jianchao, head of the International Department of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, upon arrival at the city's airport, Sputnik News reported. 

On Wednesday, Medvedev laid a wreath at the Monument to the People's Heroes in Tiananmen Square in Beijing, bowing in respect to the late heroes, RT reported. He is also scheduled to pay a visit to the Museum of the Communist Party of China. 

"Over the past 25 years, China has transformed into the most modern and economically prosperous country in the world, which is truly impressive," Medvedev said upon his visit to Beijing, RIA Novosti reported on Wednesday. "As for what inspires me here - I have said it, I say it, and I will continue to say it - it is the changes I see in China. They are fantastic," Medvedev told reporters.

Moscow and Beijing are actively developing inter-party cooperation through United Russia and the Communist Party of China, said Medvedev in a conversation with journalists during the visit, TASS reported on Wednesday. He said that for a long time, the pair's relationship was developing along state lines, while recently inter-party contacts have intensified.

Medvedev drew attention to the fact that dialogue is developing between regional structures as well as among the two countries' youths. "This is a very good additional dimension of Russian-Chinese relations in their entirety," he said, per the report.

Medvedev's last visit to China came in December 2022, during which he held a series of meetings with Chinese officials to discuss bilateral and international issues, according to TASS.

The two countries have maintained close interactions at various levels and across different sectors. Sergei Shoigu, Secretary of the Russian Federation Security Council, attended Airshow China 2024 held in Zhuhai, South China's Guangdong Province in November, where he visited the weaponry hall.

Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov also paid a visit to Beijing in October, meeting with his counterpart Chinese Defense Minister Dong Jun. Dong said the high level of mutual trust and deep practical cooperation between the two countries can be regarded as a paradigm of major-country relations, while Belousov said that Russia-China military cooperation is an important factor in maintaining global and regional peace and stability.

"The frequent high-level interaction between China and Russia is a response to the ever-changing global landscape and the continued emergence of new international and regional issues. This visit by Medvedev marks his return to China after two years, as both sides aim to stabilize and strengthen strategic mutual support and reaffirm the broad scope for economic cooperation," Sun Xiuwen, an associate professor at the Institute for Central Asian Studies at Lanzhou University, told the Global Times on Wednesday.

It's worth noting that Medvedev's responsibilities also include works related to national security, which distinguishes him from the foreign minister, as he focuses mainly on security issues, Cui Heng, a scholar from the Shanghai-based China National Institute for SCO International Exchange and Judicial Cooperation, told the Global Times on Wednesday.