The partnership between Russia and China is not directed against third countries, but Moscow and Beijing can "join forces" if faced with aggression, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said today , quoted by Reuters, writes BTA.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping agreed in May to deepen what they called their "comprehensive partnership and strategic cooperation" in the new era, Reuters points out.
Russia and China will respond with a double countermeasure to the deployment by the US in Japan of medium-range and land-based missiles within the framework of the US dual deterrence strategy, Zakharova said at a press conference, quoted by TASS.
"To the appearance of additional, at that, rather significant missile threats, both Russia and China will react, and not only politically, which has been repeatedly confirmed by both sides,'' the spokeswoman pointed out, and added: "Nobody it should be doubted that our country and China will not allow our national security and defense capabilities to be jeopardized by the destructive actions of the United States. I would like to remind in this context of the Russian-Chinese agreement, which was announced earlier by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, that Moscow and Beijing will respond to double restraint by the US with double countermeasures.
Presidents Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping signed in 2022 an agreement on "unlimited" partnership, less than three weeks before Putin ordered Russian troops to invade Ukraine. In May of this year, the two agreed to deepen, in their words, "comprehensive partnership and strategic cooperation" in the new era.
The two countries have not declared a formal military alliance, although Putin described their relationship last week as "allies in every sense of the word".
Russia and China are conducting military exercises together, including naval maneuvers, which began yesterday. Putin, who launched the exercises, warned the US not to try to show superiority over Moscow by increasing its military potential in the Asia-Pacific region.