FROM EIR DAILY ALERT
Global Times: Western Pressure Bringing Russia and China Closer
April 3, 2018 (EIRNS)—Rising trade tensions between America and China and the expulsion of Russian diplomats by Western countries may be pushing Russia and China even closer than they already are, reports Global Times. Chinese Defense Minister Wei Fenghe is in Moscow this week and will be attending the Seventh Moscow Conference on International Security, while Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi will be arriving in Moscow on April 4 for meetings with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.
“China and Russia are developing closer ties not only due to their previous good cooperation but also because of changes in the international environment. Western countries are putting political pressure on Russia and the U.S. is provoking China into a trade war,”
Gao Fei, a professor of Russian studies at the China Foreign Affairs University, told Global Times.
“As China’s Minister of National Defense will also be in Russia during Wang’s visit, leaders may hold talks on enhancing the countries’ overall comprehensive partnership and strategic cooperation between China and Russia,”
Gao said.
Sun Zhuangzhi, an expert on Sino-Russian relations from the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the paper that Wang’s visit is also paving the way for meetings between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping. Putin is expected to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in Qingdao in June.
“China and Russia also need to work together to maintain regional stability. Increasing military exchanges would deepen mutual trust and deter forces that may threaten domestic and regional peace,”
Sun said.
A separate Global Times report states that both Beijing and Moscow not only face the common threat of terrorism, but also U.S. military muscle-flexing in the Asia Pacific region. America regularly deploys aircraft carriers into the Western Pacific and has deployed the THAAD anti-missile system to South Korea; both
“offended the strategic interests of China and Russia. Therefore, it is reasonable and necessary for Beijing and Moscow to strengthen their military cooperation.”
