Russian warships arrived in Qingdao in April 2019 for China-Russia joint naval exercises. Photo:Xinhua

A newly released white paper said military relations between China and Russia have reached a high and continue to develop, a signal experts said demonstrates the two countries' determination to safeguard regional and international peace and stability.

The Information Office of the State Council unveiled Wednesday the first comprehensive defense white paper, which titled "China's National Defense in the New Era," since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China.

The white paper ranks the partnership with Russia's military first, followed by the US and then with other neighbors and European countries. 

Analysts said this might reflect the relevance and significance of these militaries with China.

"The military relationship between China and Russia continues to develop at a high level, enriching the China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for a new era and playing a significant role in maintaining global strategic stability," according to the paper.

"It shows military relations between China and Russia have entered a new high," Yang Yucai, professor of China's National Defense University of People's Liberation Army, told the Global Times.

Shanghai-based military analyst Wu Jian also said that from cooperation on military technology to joint national security operations, China-Russia strategic coordination is better than military cooperation between China and many countries, which is based on the necessity of history and urgency of the current international situation.

The US regards China and Russia as major competitors and launched operations in the Asia-Pacific region and East Europe, which violate the territorial sovereignty of China and Russia and threatened the regional security. It is necessary for the two to strengthen their strategic cooperation to safeguard regional and global stability and peace, Wu said.

However, unlike the US, which poses threats to regional stability, "the cooperation between the two countries always sticks to 'partnership over alliance, dialogue over confrontation," Yang noted.

He added that the two are always determined to safeguard regional and international peace and stability.

China and Russia conducted their first joint strategic reconnaissance flights in Northeast Asia on Tuesday and did not enter a third country's airspace, said Chinese Ministry of National Defense spokesperson Wu Qian on Wednesday.

The joint flights were aimed at deepening and developing a comprehensive strategic partnership between China and Russia in the new era, and further enhancing the joint operational capabilities of the Chinese and Russian militaries, Wu said. 

The operation is aimed at jointly safeguarding global strategic stability.