Putin: Moscow-Beijing Military Cooperation Key for Int’l Stability

By Staff, Agencies

Russian President Vladimir Putin told his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping that the two countries strategic partnership has multiple aspects, with military cooperation being a key component.

In a call on Friday, Putin viewed that “The two nations share a vision of a more just future world.”

Putin and Xi held bilateral talks via video link, with opening remarks by both leaders televised to the public. The Russian president said he welcomed the rapid development of political, economic, humanitarian and other ties with China.

Military cooperation is particularly important, he stressed, saying that it “fosters the security of both of our nations and stability in key regions” of the world. He said concerted actions by Moscow and Beijing help create “a just world order based on international law”.

“You and I have similar views on the reasons, progress and the logic of the ongoing transformation of the global geopolitical landscape,” he observed.

Xi agreed that the international situation was in turmoil and said that China was prepared to “improve strategic cooperation with Russia to provide opportunities for development for each other” and to be “global partners in the interest of our peoples and for the sake of stability in the entire world.”

The US has designated both China and Russia as strategic rivals and accused them of trying to undermine the “rules-based order.” Beijing believes that Washington is trapped in a “Cold War mentality” and that it rejects “win-win cooperation” for geopolitical reasons. Moscow says the US is trying to preserve its hegemonic position in the face of a natural rise of alternative power centers in the modern world.