Russia, China to talk about deeper security co-operation in Eurasia,
Lavrov says
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[April 09, 2024]
By Guy Faulconbridge, Lidia Kelly and Andrew Hayley
MOSCOW/BEIJING (Reuters) -Russia and China have agreed to discuss ways
to deepen security co-operation across Europe and Asia to counter
attempts by the United States to impose its will on the region, Foreign
Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Tuesday after talks in Beijing.
China and Russia declared a "no limits" partnership in February 2022
when President Vladimir Putin visited Beijing just days before he sent
tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine, triggering the deadliest land
war in Europe since World War Two.
Lavrov, after talks with Chinese counterpart Wang Yi, said that Putin
had suggested strengthening Eurasian security and that China and Russia
had agreed to "start a dialogue with the involvement of our other
like-minded people on this issue".
"For a long time, there was a Euro-Atlantic security structure in the
form of NATO, of course, as well as the OSCE, but it is striking itself
out from the list of relevant structures within which it is possible to
conduct meaningful negotiations and agree on something based on a
balance of interests," Lavrov said.
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The two countries should oppose "hegemonism" and "any 'small circle'
that engages in bloc confrontation," said Wang, China's top diplomat.
"NATO should not extend its hand to our common homeland," he added.
Lavrov met Chinese President Xi Jinping after the meeting with Wang,
state media said.
The United States casts China as its biggest competitor and Russia as
its biggest nation-state threat while U.S. President Joe Biden argues
that this century will be defined by an existential contest between
democracies and autocracies.
Putin and Xi share a broad world view, which sees the West as decadent
and in decline, just as China challenges U.S. supremacy in everything
from quantum computing and synthetic biology to espionage and hard
military power.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said on Monday she had difficult
conversations with Chinese officials during her visit on its
co-operation with Moscow.
Yellen warned of "significant consequences" for any Chinese companies
supporting Russia's war in Ukraine.
Yellen also said in these meetings that the U.S. would not rule out
tariffs on clean energy imports from China to protect its industry.
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Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and China's Foreign Minister
Wang Yi attend a signing ceremony in Beijing, China April 9, 2024.
Russian Foreign Ministry/Handout via REUTERS
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Russia and China should "jointly oppose unilateralism and
protectionism" and "work together to maintain the stability of
international industry and supply chains", Wang said.
'PARTNERSHIP'
China has strengthened trade and military ties with Russia in recent
years as the United States and its allies imposed sanctions on both,
but particularly Moscow for the invasion of Ukraine.
China-Russian trade hit a record of $240.1 billion in 2023, up 26.3%
from a year earlier, Chinese customs data shows. Chinese shipments
to Russia jumped 46.9% in 2023 while imports from Russia rose 13%.
Russia has become China's top crude supplier, as its oil shipments
to China jumped more than 24% in 2023 despite Western sanctions.
China-United States trade fell 11.6% to $664.5 billion in 2023,
Chinese customs data shows.
One year into the Ukraine war, China published in 2023 a 12-point
position paper on settling the Ukraine crisis. Russia has said
China's position is reasonable.
China backs an international conference recognised by both Kyiv and
Moscow to "discuss all peace options on an even footing", Wang said.
Lavrov said Russia wanted the United Nations Security Council to
give an assessment of Ukrainian drone attacks on the
Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station. Ukraine has
denied it is behind the drone attacks.
Both ministers said their countries would strengthen ties against
terrorism.
Militant group Islamic State claimed responsibility for the shooting
at a concert venue near Moscow where at least 144 people died, but
Russia, without providing evidence, has said it believes Ukraine was
behind the attack.
"Our co-operation on counter-terrorism will continue, including
within the framework of multilateral institutions," Lavrov said.
Last month, Reuters reported that Putin will travel to China in May
for talks with Xi, in what could be the first overseas trip of his
new presidential term.
(Reporting by Guy Faulconbridge in Moscow, Lidia Kelly in Lisbon and
Andrew Hayley and Liz Lee in Beijing; Editing by Miral Fahmy and
Clarence Fernandez)
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