The Russian and Chinese defense ministers signed an agreement Tuesday to prevent military accidents such as unintentional border crossings and violations of each other's air space.


After years of tension, relations have been improving recently, and Tuesday's agreement was another step in that direction.


"We now have more contacts, more meetings, more confidence in each other," Defense Minister Pavel Grachev told Itar-Tass.


The agreement provides means for preventing and resolving "dangerous military activity," the report said. It cited unintentionally crossing into one another's territory, and jamming radar and radio networks, and unsanctioned missile launches.