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Shoigu Wants to Launch Russian-Chinese Clinic for Soldiers

Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu on Tuesday suggested setting up a joint Russian-Chinese center for traditional medicine for military personnel in Moscow.

While visiting China's General Hospital of the People's Liberation Army during an official visit to Beijing on Tuesday, Shoigu met with the hospital's deputy chief, Changqing Gao, and praised the medical center for its military medicine, Interfax reported.

"We would like to turn a new page in our cooperation with you and offer you, the main medical institution of the Chinese military, the chance to share your experience … and open your clinic with us in Moscow — and [we would open] ours with you. We don't currently have [such a center], but I hope that with your help, there will be traditional Chinese medicine," Shoigu was cited as saying.

While this is the first time Shoigu has mentioned plans for such a center to be built in Moscow, he expressed confidence that the effort would prove effective, promising to "discuss the offer and make a decision" in the near future.

"We're ready to share and adopt experience in training specialists, to host your specialists in our military-medical academy and send our specialists to you for training," Shoigu said, Interfax reported.

Shoigu went so far as to offer to allocate a plot of land in Moscow for the creation of a joint Russian-Chinese hospital, according to the report. Changqing, the hospital's deputy chief, reportedly supported Shoigu's initiative.

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