China’s US-Sanctioned Defense Minister Visits Moscow, Hails a ‘New Era’ in Relations

China’s new defense minister, visiting Moscow on his first visit abroad since his appointment, says China-Russia relations have “entered a new era” and “surpass any military-political alliances of the Cold War.”

Li Shangfu, a People’s Liberation Army (PLA) general who was sanctioned by the U.S. five years ago over weapons transactions with Russia, met with President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin on Orthodox Easter Sunday.

He told Putin he had chosen Moscow as the destination for his first overseas visit to “emphasize the special character and strategic importance of our...