On Jan. 31, the new Chinese Defense Minister Dong Jun placed his first international call as defense minister to Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu. The two “exchanged views on international and regional issues of common interest,” according to a Chinese Defense Ministry statement. In the face of global challenges, the Chinese and Russian ministries should be bolstering mutual trust and expanding cooperation “to elevate the relations between the two militaries to a higher level,” Dong told Shoigu. “The militaries should play a greater role in deepening China-Russia strategic cooperation and maintaining global security and stability,” he said.