Admiral Sun Jianguo, deputy chief of the Joint Staff Department of China's Central Military Commission, met Russian Deputy Defense Minister Anatoly Antonov in Singapore on Friday, and the two men pledged to step up military cooperation.

Sun, who met Antonov on the sidelines of the ongoing Shangri-La Dialogue, said that the two countries have seen a sound development trend in military cooperation, as overall relations between the two sides are running well.

He said both sides faced a more complicated international security situation, and closer cooperation is needed.

For his part, Antonov praised the effective cooperation between the two defense ministries.

"You see that we have excellent relations and military cooperation between our two countries. It is very important for our leaders to have an opportunity to meet together. They give us instructions how to develop this cooperation. Frankly, I cannot see any problem for facilitation, for the promotion, of our cooperation."

He also expressed a willingness to join hands with China in the fight against security threats including terrorism.

"We are ready to make new steps. It is very important that our ministers meet together. Recently your minister of defense visited Moscow. He participated in the 5th conference on international cooperation and stability. I hope that very soon our two ministers will meet together, and they will elaborate a lot of plans for the prosperity of China and the Russian Federation,"

Antonov also vowed to deepen mutual military cooperation under the framework of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.

He said that the Russian military is keen to launch more joint maritime drills and anti-terror exercises with the China.

The Russian minister also suggested that countries should join hands at the forum to find solutions to tackle global challenges and problems.

"It is very important that this platform gives us an opportunity to sit together without protocols, without official speeches, but simply to understand where we are and what we have to do to improve the international situation."

The 15th Shangri-La Dialogue, an Asia-Pacific defense and security summit, got underway in Singapore on Friday and runs through till Sunday.