Moscow, Beijing renew comprehensive partnership against US moves
Russia and China have reiterated their extensive partnership in response to actions taken by the United States. On Thursday, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping reiterated their commitment to collaboratively oppose US initiatives regarding a “Golden Dome” missile shield and NATO’s expansion to the east, which they assert are designed to encircle both Moscow and Beijing. Xi arrived on Wednesday for a four-day official visit, during which he will participate in celebrations commemorating the 80th anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany, including the Victory Parade at Red Square on Friday.
Following extensive discussions lasting more than seven hours, Putin and Xi formalized their agreement through the signing of a joint statement along with a series of bilateral intergovernmental and interagency documents. The Kremlin reports that the signed documents encompass joint statements aimed at enhancing global strategic stability and reinforcing collaboration to uphold the authority of international law. The joint statement on global strategic stability indicates that the two nations are firmly of the opinion that the Golden Dome programme of the US is “deeply destabilising”.
The recently announced large-scale program Golden Dome for America, which envisions the establishment of an unconstrained, global, and multi-tier missile defense system designed to protect against various missile threats, including all types of adversarial missiles of comparable strength, also possesses a profoundly destabilizing character, it asserts. The statement articulated a “complete and ultimate rejection to recognise the existence of the inseparable interrelationship between strategic offensive arms and strategic defensive arms”. This relationship is identified as a fundamental principle in the pursuit of global strategic stability.
Moscow and Beijing express their opposition to the endeavors of certain nations to utilize outer space for military confrontation, asserting their intention to counteract security policies and actions that seek to establish military dominance and to formally designate outer space as a ‘warfighting domain.’ In a bid to “safeguard world peace, ensure equal and indivisible security for all,” and to “improve the predictability and sustainability of the exploration and peaceful use of outer space,” Russia and China have expressed their intention to globally advocate for the “international initiative and political commitment not to be the first to deploy weapons in outer space.”
The statement subtly criticized NATO, condemning the destabilizing expansion of military alliances by certain nuclear-armed states in proximity to others’ borders, aimed at establishing footholds, projecting power, and threatening core security interests. The two parties express strong condemnation of what they describe as “provocative activities” that they assert “undermine regional stability and global security”.
Subsequent to the meeting, additional documents were executed, encompassing interdepartmental agreements related to biological safety, collaboration in digital transformation and the digital economy; the establishment and advancement of megascience research facilities; efforts to combat infectious diseases; and partnerships in the construction of a lunar power station for the International Scientific Lunar Station.
Following discussions at the delegation level, Putin remarked that Xi’s visit aligns with the 80th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War, an event that both leaders, along with others, will commemorate at the parade on Friday. “The soldiers and officers of the People’s Liberation Army of China will participate in a ceremonial procession on Red Square alongside military units from Russia and other states, as stated by Putin.” The two leaders have reached a consensus to reconvene in Beijing this September, coinciding with the 80th anniversary of the conclusion of the Second World War, to pay tribute to the Soviet and Chinese forces that collaborated in their efforts against Japan.
During the conflict with Nazi Germany, the Soviet Union experienced a staggering loss of at least 27 million individuals, whereas China is estimated to have suffered the loss of approximately 20 million people during the period of Japanese occupation. The historical camaraderie and shared valor between our nations provide a robust basis for the advancement and fortification of relations between Russia and China. These relations have attained an unprecedented level of development, characterized by self-sufficiency and independence from domestic political influences or transient global agendas,” he stated.
Putin emphasized that the “comprehensive partnership and strategic cooperation” between Russia and China is founded on the “unshakable principles of equality, mutual support and assistance.”
