FROM EIR DAILY ALERT

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Putin, Xi Each Calls for Scientific and Technological Focus for Military Preparedness

May 18, 2018 (EIRNS)—Russian President Vladimir Putin made brief opening remarks at his May 17 meeting with the Russian Defense Ministry leadership and defense industry heads. He concluded those remarks as follows, according to his Kremlin site:

“Our priorities include continued development of advanced weapons systems, which must surpass the best foreign counterparts. We are expecting the design bureaus and research institutes to come up with breakthrough, outside-the-box and effective technical and engineering solutions, which, among other things, should reduce the time and the cost of creating and introducing new weapons. Of course, quality must also improve.”

A day earlier, Chinese President Xi Jinping delivered what Xinhua called “an important speech” to the medical research institute of the Army Academy of Military Science, in which he

“stressed accelerating the development of modern military science, and building high-level military research institutions to support the building of a strong military in the new era.”

Xi stated that

“more importance should be attached to innovations, calling for innovations in military research, defense technology and the organization model of military research.... Xi called for accelerating implementation of the strategy of strengthening the armed forces through science and technology,”

Xinhua wrote, and reported that “he said independent innovation was a strategic base point, calling for breakthroughs in core technologies as early as possible.”