Russia, China discussing plans to “double counteract” U.S.-led alliance of Western nations

04/12/2024 / By Belle Carter

Russia and China are set to start a dialogue tackling Eurasian security to “double counteract” the European-Atlantic alliance led by the United States.

On Tuesday, April 9, at a press conference in Beijing, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi said the two nations have a common goal of increasing security in Eurasia.

“We agreed with our Chinese friends to start a dialogue and get other like-minded countries to join us,” Lavrov said, adding that Wang proposed the idea of “double counteracting” the U.S. and its allies in response to the Western world’s “double deterrence” strategy against Russia and China.

A day before this press conference, Beijing clarified in a statement that it has stepped up its support for Moscow following the beginning of Russia’s special military operation in Ukraine, including providing geospatial intelligence, to help it in its invasion of the neighboring ex-Soviet state.

According to Lavrov, Russia and China confirmed that there is no prospect of holding meetings to settle the conflict with Ukraine when Russia’s positions are ignored, a reference to a planned June peace conference in Switzerland backed by Kyiv. Ukraine’s allies see China’s presence at such a conference as important for making the initiative successful.

“China supports the holding in due course of an international peace conference that is recognized by both sides, of Russia and Ukraine, and ensures the equal participation of all parties and fair discussions on all peace plans,” said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning. She added that she had “no information” to offer on China’s participation in the planned peace conference.

Beijing and Moscow have intensified their diplomatic and economic partnership since Russian President Vladimir Putin sent troops into Ukraine in late February 2022, which has helped Russia weather unprecedented Western sanctions. (Related: FORGED IN FIRE: Russia-China ties reach “unprecedented” level amid tensions with the West.)

Meanwhile, White House National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson said President Joe Biden has raised concerns about the matter with Xi Jinping during their recent call. On the other hand, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen underscored the urgency of the issue during her visit to China. According to her, Chinese banks and major exporters should not bolster Russia’s military capacity, as “they will face significant consequences if they do.”

As per Lavrov, Putin and Xi will meet at a regional summit in Kazakhstan in June and in October at a leaders’ meeting of the BRICS bloc of emerging economies. Putin is also expected to fly to China for a state visit in May.

Xi pledges to support Moscow in maintaining social security and stability

During his meeting with Lavrov, Xi pledged to strengthen communication with Russia. He also said Beijing supports Moscow in “maintaining social security and stability,” according to Chinese state broadcaster CCTV. He also expressed the two countries’ shared drive to reform “global governance.” an allusion to their joint efforts to reshape what they see as a Western-dominated world.

According to Lavrov, “consolidating and enhancing” relations with China was the “priority of Russia’s foreign policy,” according to Chinese state media.

This was the two’s first direct meeting in six years. Their last meeting in 2018 came weeks before a state visit from Putin to China, his first such trip after winning another highly orchestrated Russian presidential election that year. Putin last visited Beijing in October for the Belt and Road Forum. Xi made a state visit to Moscow in March 2023 after entering his third term as Chinese president.

Beijing claims neutrality in the conflict but has emerged as a key economic lifeline for the isolated Russian economy and a staunch diplomatic partner for Moscow as both push back against what they see as containment from the West.

Previous rounds of international peace conferences have been backed by Kyiv and not included Moscow, as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky seeks broad support for his peace formula, which calls for the complete withdrawal of Russian troops.

China has maintained dialogue with Switzerland about an upcoming international peace conference, according to state media, but previously said such talks should be recognized by both Ukraine and Russia.

Watch the video below where Lavrov stated that nothing positive comes from the reckless undertakings of the U.S. military.

This video is from the HaloRock channel on Brighteon.com.