By Arshaluys Barseghyan
Defense Minister Suren Papikyan paid a working visit to China on Tuesday, September 15, where he met with his Chinese counterpart Admiral Dong Jun in Beijing.
“During the meeting, issues related to Armenia–China cooperation in the defense sector and prospects for its development were discussed”, the Armenian Defense Ministry said in a readout.
The sides also underscored “the level of bilateral cooperation in the defense sphere” and the importance of developing new areas of interaction and long-term planning.”
The latest visit comes amid closer political ties between the two countries. In September 2025, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Chinese President Xi Jinping announced the signing of a strategic partnership agreement during a Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit.
Armenia has started to diversify its military cooperation after Russian inaction in the face of Azerbaijani offensives in 2021 and 2022. Yerevan has also repeatedly criticized Moscow for failing to fulfil weapons purchase contracts signed in 2021. For their part, Russian officials have cited the impact of Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine as the main factor affecting deliveries. Later, Armenia and Russia reached an agreement under which the amount paid by Armenia for undelivered weapons would be deducted from interstate debt.
