Russia-China cooperation aimed at countering new threats: Russian official

The deputy Russian defense minister says the aim of Chinese-Russian military cooperation is to increase mutual resistance to new threats and challenges, with Beijing stressing the need to restructure the current world order.

Anatoly Antonov made the remarks following negotiations between Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and China’s Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission Fan Changlong.

“Our Chinese colleagues stressed the concurrence of common positions on the issue of threats and challenges,” said Antonov, adding, “They noted the need to restructure the current world order, to depart from the double standards and to strengthen equal and mutually beneficial relations in the world.”

Antonov also said Russia and China plan to hold two joint naval exercises in 2015 in the Sea of Japan and in the Mediterranean Sea.

The drills would include practicing joint participation in peacekeeping operations, as well as counter-terrorism and anti-piracy actions in the Sea of Japan.

According to the deputy minister, the two sides also discussed the “practical use” of the joint naval drills held last year in the East China Sea.

The remarks come just a day after Alexei Pushkov, the head of the Foreign Affairs Committee in the Russian State Duma, said the promotion of relations between Russia and China is a response to the US and the NATO’s military expansion in Europe.

On May 8, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese leader Xi Jinping signed a deal on cooperation in integrating the development of the Eurasian Economic Union with China’s Silk Road economic project.

The developments come as Moscow is seeking to diversify its markets amid US-led Western sanctions over the accusation that Moscow is involved in the conflict in eastern Ukraine, which Russia strongly denied.

NATO expansion in Eastern Europe

The strengthening of Russia-China ties come as the Western military alliance of NATO has announced plans to expand its military presence in Eastern Europe amid the crisis in Ukraine. NATO conducted some 200 military exercises in the region last year and has promised to hold additional ones this year.

In February, the defense ministers of NATO’s 28 member states agreed to establish six new command and control posts in the Eastern European countries of Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Bulgaria and Romania.

The United States and its European allies accuse Russia of destabilizing Ukraine. Moscow has repeatedly rejected the accusations and has frequently condemned NATO’s exercises and military buildup toward its borders.

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