Russia and China are set to deepen their security cooperation across Europe and Asia to counter US influence in the region, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov announced after talks in Beijing on Tuesday.
The agreement follows a declaration of a “no limits” partnership between China and Russia in February 2022, coinciding with Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to Beijing shortly before the invasion of Ukraine.
After discussions with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi, Lavrov revealed that Putin had proposed bolstering Eurasian security, leading to an agreement to initiate dialogue with like-minded countries on the matter.
Highlighting the need for an alternative to the Euro-Atlantic security structure dominated by NATO, Lavrov emphasized the importance of establishing meaningful negotiations based on a balance of interests.
Wang Yi echoed Lavrov’s sentiments, stressing the importance of opposing hegemonism and bloc confrontation while cautioning against NATO’s expansion into their shared region.
Following the talks with Wang, Lavrov met with Chinese President Xi Jinping, underscoring the high-level engagement between the two nations.
The United States views China as its primary competitor and Russia as its major nation-state threat, framing this century as a contest between democracies and autocracies. However, Putin and Xi share a worldview that challenges Western dominance and emphasizes their own nations’ strengths.
US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen’s recent visit to China included discussions on cooperation with Moscow, reflecting Washington’s concerns about the growing partnership between Beijing and Moscow.
