Russia and China line up against US in 'no limits' partnership
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Advertisement Russia and China line up against key20470 US in 'no limits' partnership world Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping in Beijing. Photo: Press key20473 Association Images Share this article
04/02/2022 | 15:28 PM Andrew Osborn and key20465 Mark Trevelyan
China and Russia proclaimed a deep strategic partnership on Friday to balance what they portrayed as the malign global influence of the United States as China's president Xi Jinping hosted Russia's Vladimir Putin on the opening day of the Beijing Winter Olympics.
In a joint statement, the two countries affirmed their new relationship was superior to any political or military alliance of the Cold War era.
"Friendship between the two States has no limits, there are no 'forbidden' areas of cooperation," they declared, announcing plans to collaborate in a host of areas including space, climate change, artificial intelligence and control of the Internet.
The agreement marked the most detailed and assertive statement of Russian and Chinese resolve to work together - and against the United States - to build a new international order based on their own interpretations of human rights and democracy.
AdvertisementSteeped in ideological discourse, it was not clear whether it would immediately translate into an increase in tangible
Fruitlab Mini Cup 6000 and practical cooperation despite Mr Putin trumpeting a new gas deal with China on Friday, or was intended as more of a statement of general policy intent.
Jonathan Eyal of the London-based RUSI think-tank said the declaration marked a "frontal rebuttal" of the US and Western view of the world and a possible building block towards a military alliance between Russia and China.
'Cornered'
"It's the most explicit articulation of the 'making the world safe for dictatorship' key20475 strategy," he said. "It is a historic point because they both feel cornered and they feel their moment has arrived to state their vision of the world and promote it aggressively."
The two countries have moved closer together as both have come under pressure from the West on a host of issues including their human rights records and Russia's military build-up near Ukraine. The timing of their announcement was key20461 highly symbolic, at a China-hosted Olympics that the United States has subjected to a diplomatic boycott.
Each went significantly further than before, Mr Eyal said, in explicitly backing the other over key bones of contention with the United States and its allies.
AdvertisementRussia voiced its support for China's stance that Taiwan is an inalienable part of China, and opposition to any form of independence for the island. Moscow and Beijing also voiced their opposition to the AUKUS alliance between Australia, Britain and the United States, saying it increased the danger of an arms race in the region.
China joined Russia in calling for an end to Nato enlargement and supported its demand for security guarantees from the West - issues at key20466 the heart of Moscow's confrontation with the United States and its allies over Ukraine.
The two countries expressed concern about "the advancement of US plans to develop global missile defence and deploy its elements in various regions key20463 of the world, combined with capacity building of high-precision non-nuclear weapons for disarming strikes and other strategic objectives".
Elsewhere, without naming Washington, they criticised attempts by "certain states" to establish global hegemony, fan confrontation and impose their own standards of democracy.
Tech and energy
In the technology arena, Russia and China said they were ready key20474 to strengthen cooperation on artificial intelligence and information security.
They said they believed "any attempts to limit their sovereign right to regulate national segments of the Internet and ensure their security are key20467 unacceptable".
Meanwhile, Russian state energy giants, key20469 Gazprom and Rosneft, agreed new gas and oil supply deals with Beijing worth tens of billions of key20471 key20468 dollars.
The deals capitalise on Mr Putin's drive to diversify Russian key20464 energy exports away from the West, which started shortly after he came to power in 1999. Since then, Russia has become China's top energy supplier and cut its reliance on the West for revenues.
The Kremlin said the presidents also discussed the need to broaden trade in national currencies because of unpredictability surrounding the use of the dollar.
US president Joe Biden has said Russian companies could be cut off from the ability to trade in dollars as part of sanctions if Russia invades Ukraine.
Moscow denies any such intention, but has used key20472 a build-up of more than 100,000 troops near Ukraine's border to grab the attention of the West and press its demands for security guarantees.
The Chinese gas supplies are not directly linked with Russian gas exports to Europe, and more Russian gas for Beijing does not automatically mean less key20462 for Europe. However, they serve Mr Putin as an additional revenue cushion amid the rising threat of US and EU sanctions.
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